Unlocking Dreams
by kitara251
Summary: When Mumm-ra summon two beings stronger than he is, it brings three worlds together. TenchiMuyo/SailorMoon/Thundercats Crossover. Couples: UsaMamo, HaruMichi, TygraCheetara, BengaliPumyra, and others later on.
1. Chapter 1

Cheetara and Pumyra had just settled down in the control room of the Tower of Omens. Cheetara, WilyKit, and Kitara aka 'Kita', had switched places with Bengali and Lynx-O so they could have a bit of a 'girls night' (with the exception of Snarfer to help out). Before switching shifts, Cheetara mused to herself about the new arrival to the Thundercats, her sister. She was not born as her sister, but she was adopted as her blood sister. When Kita was a baby, she was the only available cheetah with the correct blood type to give Cheetara a blood fusion for a procedure that could have ended her life. By her being so young, they had to copy her blood to give a good supply to Cheetara.

Vise versa, Kita had been in a bad accident when she was about five that caused a massive blood loss to her and she needed a ready supply to keep her alive long enough for her operation. Because everything was happening so fast, Cheetara ended up lying beside her during the entire operation. In turn, they helped save each other's lives. Though she had been living with Cheetara and her parents since her birth, they decided to officially adopt her then.

Before Kita's arrival, Cheetara had lost hope, believing that her younger sister had perished along with the rest of Thundera. Little did she and the rest of the Thundercats know is that, like Pumyra, Bengali, and Lynx-O, she was rescued by a fleeing ship.

Instead of going to Cat's Lair, she was flung off course and landed on a different part of 3rd Earth. A village of hunters took her in. She excelled in her speed, tracking, and archery lessons. Kita had experienced diversity like no other child had before. Each individual had an interesting background. Books brought her more education, hearing stories gave her knowledge, and having friends gave her courage to move on.

A vision came to her in the middle of the night, saying that her family was still alive on the same planet. She packed a couple of items before heading toward Cat's Lair. The young Thunderian was accompanied by four others to be at her side in case she ran into problems. The first landmark they reached was the Warrior Maiden's Treetop Kingdom. Being strangers to their kingdom, they treated them like enemies. They surely would have shot at them with the deadly arrows if it wasn't for Princess Nayda and her sister, Queen Willa. They recognized immediately she was Thunderian and directed them to Cat's Lair.

After the reunion, her party of friends said their good-byes to her and went back to their village. Before they did, they each left her a gift to remind her of their friendship together. Each time Cheetara asked her how she knew to come Cat's Lair, all she said was, "my heart and my senses guided me to you all". Cats Lair had not been so full of celebration since the new Thundercats were initiated into the organization.

WilyKit was thankful to have her friend back. Kit, Kat, Lion-O, and Kita use to have so much fun back at the old Cat's Lair on Thundera. She also wanted another female around her age to relate things to besides her brother. Cheetara wondered if their lives would have been different if she and Kita were about the same age as WilyKit and WilyKat. After about a split second, she shook the thought out of her mind and let a grin come on her lips. She silently thanked Jaga for the big age difference for two reasons: one, Kit and Kat usually fought and she and Kita never had that problem a lot; and two, it would drive everyone around the Lair crazy to have two cheetahs running around.

Pumyra saw the grin and made a mental note, _she is thinking about it again_. She broke the cheetah out of her thoughts by asking her, "Do you think those two girls really went to sleep this time?"

She was now on the verge of laughing. "I wouldn't put it past them to go into the kitchen for a snack around now." At that both females were laughing very loudly.

"Snarf, and you two wonder why the younger kittens don't go to sleep when they're supposed to, snarf. It's a wonder they aren't in the kitchen right now getting a snack." The comment only caused them to laugh louder, leaving Snarfer looking very confused. By seeing his confused look, Pumyra settled down and explained to him what was so funny. Despite everything, he too joined the females laughing.

As if on cue, the two younger Thundercats entered the control room with their mouths full of something they have just eaten from the kitchen. After swallowing the contents in her mouth, Kit spoke "Gee, I wonder what the guys back at the Lair would say about you three keeping two innocent children up with your loud noises?"

Cheetara stood up, pointed her finger, and said in her Tygra-like tone, "They would say that you have no business coming in here at this hour when you're supposed to be in bed."

Pumyra, following Cheetara's example, crossed her arms and in her Panthro-the-almighty voice said, " And little kids need to get back to bed now, end of discussion."

By this time, everyone was holding their sides laughing. Regaining her composure, Kita stated "With you two around who needs comedians." Again the room was in an uproar. When about ten minutes passed the two girls face turned serious. Seeing the faces, Cheetara sat Kita in her lap and Pumyra did the same with Kit. After they were comfortable, Cheetara asked them in a motherly voice "So why are you two up this time of night".

Silence.

They both merely shifted uneasy at the sound of the question. When they did not answer Cheetara's question Snarfer decided to leave the females alone in case it turned out to be one of 'those' conversations.

Once again, Cheetara asked the girls the question again. Silence still. At that, Pumyra turned Kit's face so she could look her straight in the eyes. In a sweet and stern voice, Pumyra said her name sort of like how Panthro would if he weren't mad at her, "KIT". Cheetara did the same thing with her sister. After a minute or two, they started to talk.

"Well...you..see..."Kit started but stopped.

"we...sort...of...had "Kita picked up and stooped like Kit.

"...I..mean..the past few nights...Kit stopped again.

The beginning of the sentences had both the cheetah and puma tensed up. Right then the most horrible things was running through their minds.

At the same time, they said as if they were twins. "We have been having really weird dreams". Kita then said "except we can't tell if they are dreams...

...or memories" Kit finished.

The explanation helped the tension but it still had them worried. Cheetara finally spoke "Girls, if these are dreams then how can they possible be memories?"

Kita 's answer was, "Because I had these dreams when we stayed together on Thundera".

At the mention of their old home, Pumyra nearly dropped Kit. Everyone now knew Thundera was reformed. Panthro had built a small ship called the "Feliner" to travel in space with. With it, Tygra, Panthro, Bengali, and Lion-O went to explore the place they once called home. After about three weeks, they came back to 3rd Earth and told them they could possibly start trying to find more survivors and bring them back to New Thundera. Every so often, a group would go and start the building progress on New Thundera. Tygra had told them that with the limited amount of fuel and gravitational level that a trip with all of them would be too risky.

The puma finally found her voice "Are you two certain?" They both nodded. "Do you feel like explaining it to us?" They were about to answer when the controls beeped. Pushing a button, the faces of Bengali, Lynx-O, Tygra, and Panthro were on the screen.

"Ho, Tower of Omens" were the males' call.

The female's replies were "Ho, Cat's Lair".

Upon seeing the two children, the faces of everyone went from happy to serious. Being blind, Lynx-O didn't see the girl's faces but he heard their voices.

"Kat is already in bed, so why in Jaga's name aren't you two asleep?" Was Panthro's question. Kita shook a little. Though she grew up with the Thundercats and kittens, she still was not use to powerfully stern voice of Panthro. With a glare from the cheetah and puma, he apologized for startling her. She returned it with a warm smile. In unison, the other three males asked "What's wrong with you two?"

"What's wrong with who?" A young voice asked.

As quickly as the question was asked, another older voice came through with it, "Is one of my girls sick?"

The two new voices were identified as Lion-O and Snarf. Upon seeing the new arrivals, Kita and Kit blushed. They really didn't want to discuss this in front of the guys. Using her telepathy powers, Kita connected with the three females through a mental thought.

Kita_ Can we talk about this in the morning guys?_

Cheetara _Sure we can._

Kit _um...Can you two do us a favor and not tell the guys just yet until we are sure about this?_

Cheetara, Pumyra _Yeah, of course._

Pumyra _You two just try and get some sleep._

Kita, Kit_ Okay._

With that they got up off their elder's lap and gave then a hug and a kiss good-night. Before leaving, they bowed to their Lord and gestured good-night to their other elders. When the kittens were out of sight, the men cast the women a strange look. Even Lynx-O, who had been listening to the whole exchange. They just pointed to their heads signifying they were using their minds to communicate. At that, everyone understood. Lynx-O guessed that and was right.

"What was that all about?" Lion-O asked. Both ladies gave him a look that said it was a "female thing" so he decided not to press the issue, as did the other males.

"So guys, what's up with the late night call" Pumyra asked.

"Yeah, I doubt you all called just to say 'hello' and 'good-night'" was Cheetara's next question.

Everyone turned to Tygra and waited for an explanation as he faxed some paperwork to the Tower. "I don't think it is anything to worry about but according to these readings, we are getting some awkward energy waves that went off the chart. I am not sure if this is one of 3rd Earth's normal energy heights or if it is some other force causing it to malfunction." They carefully read the paper before responding.

"Tygra, we have lived on 3rd Earth for some time now, surely we would have noted if something like this have happened before?"

"Yes and no Cheetara. You see, true we have lived on this planet for a while now..."

Pumyra _I hear a 'but' coming in 3, 2, 1..._

"...but..."

Pumyra _Bingo_

"...we aren't sure if this is normal or not. Think about one of the volcanoes on this planet or the earthquakes. We all know that they will react at any moment but it is very unlikely since it has been a very long time since it naturally happened."

"Tygra, we have seen those dang blasted things erupt and shake plenty of times, and lived to tell it."

"Yes Panthro we have, but I said _**naturally**_. Many of those occurrences were do to Mumm-ra's plans or some of his evil counter-partners."

"Is it possible that the mummy is up to something again?"

Lynx-O answered the white tiger's question this time. "I wouldn't put is past him Bengali."

Pumyra and Cheetara slightly giggled at the start of the sentence. When they looked at the faces on the screen, they started to blush with shame.

"Sorry guys, we were just thinking about a conversation we had with Snarfer earlier about..." Pumyra couldn't even finish her sentence when a thought occurred to her.

"Say Tygra, about how long ago did these readings come out?" was Cheetara's first question.

"I would say about 20 minutes ago or so"

"That was right before you called us right?"

"Yes"

As if their minds were on the same track, Pumyra asked "Do those sensory machines of yours work like a scale or something Tygra?"

"Well yes, sort of. Just think of it as a machine to monitor brain waves from a dream, the only exception is that 3rd Earth is the brain, okay." Those were the simplest words for Tygra to put it without confusing everyone. Everyone seemed to understand but the female Thundercats still carried a worried look on their faces. Lion-O decided that this was enough excitement for one night.

"I think that everyone should try and get some sleep now, I have a feeling that it is going to be a weird day tomorrow." Before everyone departed from the screen, Lion-O raised his hand and shouted "Thundercats....

...HO" was everyone's reply.

After the monitor turned blank, the two friends just stared at each other. "um...'Tara?"

"Yes 'Myra."

"Do you think that this is all just one big coincidence?"

"I really don't know what to think now, but you go on to sleep, I have to stay up for my watch."

"Wanna walk with me to check on the girls first?"

"Sure, why not!"

When they walked through the door, they saw that both girls were sleeping like babies in their own beds. Pumyra walked over and tucked the covers under Kit as Cheetara pulled the blanket up over Kita's head. Cheetara noticed that Myra was staring at the kids from her spot in the room. They both loved children very much, but it was no secret that Pumyra wanted one very much.

By now, everyone knew that she and Bengali were going to have a baby. All of her emotions were reacting to her hormones at this delicate state. She didn't bother to find out if they were going to have a boy or girl because she wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. Tara prayed to Jaga that her friend got what she wished for. Myra turned her back as the tears started running down her face. She had often tried to suppress that part of her from everyone, but it seemed that it was only evident to her close friend, Cheetara. It may be because of a female bond.

Quietly walking over to where her friend was, she gently gathered her into a friendly hug. Pumyra was thankful to have someone like Cheetara around to talk to. Before leaving the room, they each kissed the kids good-night before walking away. As Cheetara walked toward her shift position, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Before she could say anything, Pumyra wrapped her hands around her neck and gave her the same friendly hug she had just given her.

"Thank you, Tara."

"You're welcome, Myra. What are friends for?" Patting her friend's swollen belly, "One more month."

Smiling. "One more month."

With that, Pumyra went into her room and Cheetara went into the control room to do her shift. As they both stared out into space, they couldn't help but wonder what the children wanted to talk to them about.

"Kit?"

"Yeah Kita."

"...Do you believe that they'll think we are crazy for what we are about to tell them in the morning?"

"I believe they will hear us out before Myra decides to make us take a CAT scan." Though it was a little forced, Kita allowed herself to chuckle softly at the remark, just in case the women were still walking down the hall. "Don't worry about it now Kita, just try and sle...get some rest."

"Okay Kit, night."

"Night Kita."


	2. Chapter 2

"Please Princess, don't tell them just yet!"

*sigh* "Look, we are friends and we are not on Jurai anymore, so you don't have to be so formal with me okay. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that Ayelei. If I don't address you by your title, then you don't have to address me by mine."

"Oh, sorry Princ...Sasami. It is an old habit to break. I mean, we did spend like most of our childhood together. Besides that, I'm still trying to understand the way earthlings age. On Jurai right now, I am 713 and you are 711, but here we are 13 and 11."

"Well yes, but you have lived here on Earth will us for a while now and have finally become a bigger part of the family. Besides, you are already family since your mom and sister stay here with us. Speaking of which, I think that we shouldn't hold this off any longer."

"Sasami, my mom will want to do a brain test on me for thinking like a crazy person and most likely do a blood test to make sure someone so ignorant could be related to her. Ryoko, on the other hand, will automatically assume that I have flipped it and talk mom into doing some research on me." The child's heart fell at the assumptions.

"Ayelei how could you think something like that? Washu and Ryoko care for you a lot and would never do anything to hurt you; they are a great part of your life."

"Humph, right." Her mother had shown everyone some pictures of Ayelei and Ryoko when they were younger to jog some memories that they may have not remembered. One day, she sat down and told them about the day Ayelei was born. Ayelei's mind went wondering as she thought about the story her mother had just told them...

...Ryoko was deep in sleep while Washu was up making her the perfect birthday gift, a sister. At first, Washu was apprehensive for making another creation-correction -daughter like Ryoko. Although Ryoko's body was that of a young teenager, her mind still held the curiosity of a ten-year-old girl.

She decided to alter Ryoko's age to look like a ten-year-old little girl so she could go to school and be "normal". After a while, many of the kids at school starting teasing her for being different and unlike them. She would come home so hurt that she didn't ever want to go back to what she called 'the pit'. She would not have gone through with it if had not been for the ego of the most brilliant scientific genius in the universe.

Like with her creation of Ryoko, she took an ovum and fused it with the mass. As she was finishing the process, a loud booming noise made her come from her procedure. The sound was coming from her own daughter's room. Leaving the contents behind, she ran into Ryoko's room looking for anything out of the ordinary. She saw her daughter crouched in a corner crying while Ryo-oki was hissing at something out the window above the bed. With ease, Washu cradled the startled girl and looked out the window for any sign or false play or harm. She saw that a nearby tree was scratching against the window, which to a child, would more than likely seen like an intruder. She rocked Ryoko back to sleep trying to ensure her that there was nothing to fear.

While she was comforting Ryoko, a dark figure come into the lab with a mixture of his own to add to the experiment. Before the process could begin, he put a special type of DNA sample into the Petri dish- a pure-blooded Jurian's DNA. He figured that the cells would not merge and would most likely kill the zygote before it finished fertilizing. There was only one person cruel enough to do something such as this-Kagato. Upon hearing Washu's footsteps down the hall, he made his exit until the time was right for him to spring into action with his plans for Washu and her little family.

Washu tried her best to stay on task with her new 'offspring' but something was nagging her in the back of the head. As a mother, she was use to coming in and rocking her scared child to sleep, but Ryoko wasn't just scared, she was terrified. Also, Ryo-oki didn't usually go to a ready stance until she felt as if she or Ryoko were severely threatened. Things just didn't add up right. For unknown reasons, Washu didn't even notice the unusual presence of Jurian DNA.

Overlooking this, she continued her work, determined to be finished before her daughter's birthday. Shockingly, the three genes fused together with ease, much like pieces to a puzzle. Upon seeing the genes fuse perfectly, Washu set the dish into a tube-like life support capsule. She then started to speed up the life of the zygote to an embryo. Then, as a light blinked, the embryo started to shape into the figure of a child. Speeding up the process, Washu watched as her new daughter carried the features of eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, fingers, toes, and internal organs. Before she new it, she was staring at the form of a new-born 1 month old baby girl.

She opened the capsule momentarily to hook tubes and cords to her so she could monitor her brain waves and normal functions. Washu took this time to take in everything about the child. Like Ryoko, she seemed totally opposite of her. For starters, her hair was a deep sea-green color and her eyes were a shade of violet. The most shocking thing about her little bundle of joy was that she had single green triangle in the middle of her forehead.

"Oh, how odd. I don't remember that with Ryoko." The thought was quickly dismissed from her head when she saw the beautiful violet eyes. It was as if she could look straight into Washu's soul with her eyes. They were young but showed so much innocence and love. Without even thinking, she quickly unplugged everything she had hooked up to her new daughter and picked her up. She looked up and smiled right alongside Washu's smile.

The warm feeling swept over Washu and before she knew it, tears were falling from her face. For a few moments, her thoughts lingered back to the son she had lost long ago. Once her sadness was suppressed, she looked back at the baby girl in her arms. She was no different from any other parent; this was the first time she held her daughter, watch her take her first breath, watch her first smile, and she was the first thing she saw. They were truly mother and daughter. "I wonder what we should call you?" She thought about every name she could but came up with a blank. _I guess we will wait for Ryoko to help name you in the morning_.

*yawn* "Boy, this has been a busy night. Better go and get some sleep, it's going to be a wonderful day tomorrow." She started for her room but then realized she was still holding her new bundle of joy. "I guess you will need a place to sleep also, won't you?" She asked while waving her hand in her face. By this time the baby was already in a state of dreams.

_She looks so peaceful_.

Washu then made her laptop appear in front of her. After keying in a few words, a room magically appeared. The door was a beautiful purple and cyan color between her and Ryoko's room. If she ever needed to check on one of the girls, she simply had to step a few feet then she will be in the other daughter's room.

While looking around the room, Washu decided to sit upon her favorite floating red pillow. The baby's room was decorated with a blue background with purple flowers drawn in like a violet landscape. The most interesting thing about the wall was the painting of a solar system. It looked as if it were painted into the wallpaper. Her crib and toys carried the same theme. There was a bird-like swing hanging in the corner that served the purpose as a baby holder. Beside it was none other than a bookshelf. In front of that was a wardrobe filled with baby clothes, diapers, powder, combs, wipes, and other ingredients needed to take care of a baby. In front of the crib floated a violet pillow. She remembered when Ryoko first got her cyan-colored floating pillow. She usually lay across it and daydreamed than sat on it and worked like her mother. _Maybe when you get older, you will make better use of yours_.

She gently laid the child in the crib and left for her own room for a peaceful night's sleep.

Morning time.

"Happy birthday little Ryoko!" Ryoko tore into her birthday cake as Ryo-oki ate a carrot cake Washu had specially made for her (it was technically like her birthday too). She couldn't wait to tell them about her surprise. It was very obvious Ryoko couldn't either because she gulped down the cake as if she wasn't planning on eating for the next few days.

"Okay, I'm done. Where is my surprise mom?" Every so often Washu had something interesting for her. The very first thing she ever received from her mother was Ryo-oki. One time she gave her a floating pillow in her favorite color-cyan. Then it was the time she started teaching her how to use her powers-correctly. She was thinking of everything that could top each gift after another, but this was something she was totally unprepared for.

"Alright little Ryoko, come with me. You too Ryo-oki." With that, everyone followed Washu out of the kitchen through her room until they reached a door.

Ryoko_I don't remember this door being here before._

"That is because it wasn't." Ryoko had forgotten for a split second that she and her mother had a special 'link', as well as she and Ryo-oki. "Well, go on and open it. I promise that you're surprise won't eat you when you touch it."

The last part of the comment made Ryoko a bit nervous to go in, but what child would turn down the opportunity to receive a gift they know they will like. Instead of walking through the door, she wanted her mother to be proud of her new powers so she decided to phase through the door. The site froze her in mid-phase. Her trunk to her head was in the room, but the rest of her stayed outside with Washu.

Washu_You had better hurry and phase through before you get stuck like that._

"Oh."

As soon as she finished phasing, she levitated to the crib to see the sleeping baby. "Mom?"

"Yes Ryoko."

"Who is this?"

"This is your new baby sister."

"Really! what's her name?" She asked in almost a yell which caused the baby to stir a bit.

"Actually, I was waiting on you to help me name her."

"Cool!"

With that yell, the baby girl woke up, but didn't cry. Washu just stood there, stunned! "She is the first child I have ever seen wake up from a noise like that and didn't cry."

"Sorry mom." Just as quick as the apology came, a number of questions popped in her head at once. "Hey, what is that mark on her head?"

"Don't know; she was born with it."

"Does she have a link like us?"

"We won't know that until she is a little bit older dear."

"Why isn't her hair like yours?"

"The same reason _**yours**_ isn't."

"Will you make her a special friend like Ryo-oki?"

"No, I think yours is enough running around herself." Ryoko seemed to be at a loss for questions for the time being.

Washu_I had better ask her now before she asks me another twenty questions._

"So little Ryoko, what will you like to call the baby?"

"hmm...Ayelei!"

"Alright then, from this day on, she will be known as Ayelei Hakubi, sister of Ryoko, friend to Ryo-oki, and daughter of the most brilliant scientific genius in the universe, Washu!"

Raising both hands in the air she shouted, "Yeah mom!" Washu was already levitating on her pillow and with a few strokes of her hand on her laptop, Ryoko's cyan-colored pillow was floating under her. As she settled onto her pillow, she went to pick the baby up but pulled back. She had never held a baby before. After a reassuring look from her mother, she cradled her baby sister in her arms. She started playing and cooing with her new sister. In a sing-song type of way, she said her name "_Ayelei_. _Ayelei_. _Ayelei_..."

Present

"...Ayelei? Ayelei! AYELEI!!!"

"WHAATT!!!!"

Without even thinking, Ryoko yelled back at her.

"Hey, don't get mad at me! You're the one who doesn't even know how to answer to your own name!"

Looking down at the ground with guilt, "Sorry Ryoko."

*sigh* "Don't be. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Silence.

"Look, Washu and Ayeka want you both to come back inside now. They think you will catch a cold if you stay out in the weather too long."

"Okay, thanks Ryoko."

With that said and done, Ryoko phased back into the house.

"Sasami, how long was I out for?"

"Well, you were zoned out for like ten whole minutes. What were you thinking about?"

"About when I was a baby."

"Oh." Her younger childhood years were always a touchy subject so she tried the best she could not to get into it. Maybe she could hold off talking about what's been bothering them a little bit longer. The whole while they were talking, Ryo-oki was sleeping nicely on top of Sasami's head. She was starting to wake up which usually meant it was time to eat.

"I had better go and get dinner started. Let's see, Mihoshi and Kiyone will be flying in soon, Washu will be coming out of her lab, Ayeka and Ryoko should be done with their work, Grandpa comes down from the shrine, Tenchi's dad will be here any minute, and Tenchi will be really hungry after working so hard in the fields."

"Yeah okay. I'll set the table and put the tea on this time okay."

"Okay, let's go."

Sasami held on to Ayelei's hand while Ryo-oki kept her same spot on her head. With a blink of an eye, they were in the kitchen. Like Ryoko, Ayelei can dematerialize, but to a certain degree. She couldn't pass through walls like Ryoko and Ryo-oki, but she could be in one place then reappear in the place that she pictured in her mind (a.k.a. teleportation). She also posses the skills of flying and creating a light sword like Ryoko and Washu. She didn't have a link to Ryo-Oki as well as her mother and sister did, but they seemed to understand each other pretty well.

As they all let go, they collapsed onto the floor as they felt their particles and molecules return to their original place. The ending result was a tingling feeling all the way through their body. The only time Ayelei gets this feeling is when she dematerializes with another person with her. They were all laughing at the feeling started to go away.

"I love it when you do that."

"Trust me, so do I Sasami."


	3. Chapter 3

"Slow down odango-atama [dumpling-head], or there won't be any food left for ChibiUsa or Hotaru!"

"Shut up Rei! I will save them some! Besides, there is plenty of food to go around for them too!"

"That was only because Luna practically nagged your ear off _**and**_ more food is being cooked! You can be such a pig Usagi!"

The fight was stopped by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Ami got up from her computer to see who was at the door so early in the morning.

"Haruka! Michiru! How was your trip?" Haruka and Michiru had decided to go on a trip for a little "quality time". They explained to Hotaru that it would be for about two weeks until they returned. Like Setsuna, they served as Hotaru's foster parents. She often thinks of Setsuna and Michiru as mothers while Haruka is a father-type figure to her (it may be because she wears men's clothes, drives a cool car, and acts like another one of the fellows). Thus she calls them Setsuna-mama, Michiru-mama, and Haruka-papa.

ChibiUsa had returned from the future to visit everyone. They decided it would be a good time for the girls to spend time together over Usagi's house while they went on their trip.

"It was okay I guess. Thank you and the others for watching Hotaru for us while we were gone."

"Don't think anything of it Michiru. ChibiUsa enjoys Hotaru's company a whole lot."

Haruka glanced into the dining room to see that Usagi and Rei were giving each other death glares. _They must be arguing over breakfast again_. "Speaking of which, where are the dynamic duo, Ami?"

"I haven't seen them yet. Maybe they are in the kitchen with Makoto and Minako."

The three passed by the dining room to speak briefly to Usagi and Rei before going into the kitchen. They saw that Minako (she refers to be called Mina) was helping Makoto (they call her Mako at times) make a second batch of breakfast due to the fallout between their friends in the dining room. With Usagi around, you need to make enough food for an entire football team.

Minako was the first to notice the new arrivals. "Well isn't this a surprise to see you two this early."

Mako nodded her head in agreement with Mina. "Yeah, you may as well stay for breakfast and eat with us and the girls...whenever they decide to come out of bedroom."

"Mako, are you telling me that the smell of breakfast didn't bring those two out of the room."

"Yeah. I don't get it Michiru. I mean, those two are usually the first ones up in the morning to play the video games or something."

Haruka thought for a second. "Do you think we should go in and check on them?"

"I wouldn't worry about them too much. It was really late when they decided to go to sleep last night. They may just be catching up on some late night sleep..." From in the corner, Artemis gave Mina a stare that said 'It's okay for them to check'.

"...but I don't think it will hurt if you checked on them."

As Haruka and Michiru slid the door open, they saw that both girls were sleeping in the same bed. This was not unusual. They just stood and watched them sleep. They were about to leave when they heard the call of their names by two sets of voices.

"Haruka? Michiru?"

"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!"

As they turned around, they were knocked down by the bodies of an eleven year old pink-haired child with two odangos and a twelve year old girl with short black hair.

Michiru managed to chuckle out a welcome to the girls "Well, good-morning to you two, too."

"ChibiUsa and I thought that you two wouldn't be back until later on tonight."

"Well Hotaru, we got an early start because we wanted to see you guys very badly." Haruka just nodded at her partner's explanation. Hearing this, Hotaru hugged her "parents" harder.

"Look who finally decided to wake up for breakfast." All four looked up to see Usagi greeting the two girls followed by Rei.

"Good morning Usagi. Hello Rei."

"Good morning girls." Rei's attention then turned to the older girls. "Mako and Mina told us you two are going to join us for our second round of breakfast..." She stopped for a moment to stare at Usagi. She gave them evidence as to why breakfast had to be cooked again. Usagi turned her head away from the group as her face turned beet red of embarrassment. Haruka smiled and shook her head while Michiru put a hand over her mouth to hide her grin. Rei continued talking to them

"...so why don't you come with us to get a seat while these two wash up for their meal?"

Haruka and Michiru got to their feet and helped the girls up. After dusting herself off, Haruka turned to the younger girls. "Alright. We will see you two in a little while, okay."

"Okay." They chimed in together before rushing off to wash up for their morning meal.

A few minutes later, ChibiUsa and Hotaru joined the rest of the gang for breakfast. Ami had wheeled the TV in the dining room so she could catch her daily morning news. No one really paid much attention to the TV, but something had caught the attention of ChibiUsa and Hotaru completely. The picture that they saw was seen only by them. It was as if one little object triggered a memory:

First story. The first thing on the news was the report on the animal shelter showing different cats. One of them had blue eyes with spots like that of a wild animal when the other was orange with a few black lines.

Next story. There was going to be a space exhibit opening in a few days which shows various planets and stars. In one part of the museum, children could pretend they were out-of-space-people. One of the children, it seemed to them, had long green hair in two ponytails with odd markings on her forehead. The other had one single sea-green ponytail with a bang in front of her head. Like the first girl, she had an odd mark in the middle of her head.

Hotaru and ChibiUsa felt as if their world was spinning. Images of those 'people' danced in their heads while they drifted into nothing.

******* ******** ********

"ChibiUsa? Please wake up sweetie."

ChibiUsa _That sounded like Usagi_.

"Michiru, what do you think is wrong with them?"

"I wish I knew Haruka."

Hotaru_Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?_

ChibiUsa_Hotaru?_

Hotaru_Yes._

ChibiUsa_Did we black out or something?_

Hotaru _I guess we did_.

ChibiUsa _So why can we still talk to each other and why can't we wake up?_

Hotaru _It may be from a mind connection we have with each other that we can continue to communicate. Did those stories on the tv seem real to you ChibiUsa?_

ChibiUsa _Kind of. Why?_

Hotaru'_Cause either we are going crazy or those flashes_...

ChibiUsa..._are some form of memories_.

Hotaru _Exactly. What I don't understand is that if they were memories, why did we pass out from the flashes_?

ChibiUsa _You got me there. Do you think that if we concentrate hard enough, we will wake up?_

Hotaru_It is worth a try. I hear everyone around us starting to really freak out._

ChibiUsa_Okay then, on the count of three._

ChibiUsa, Hotaru_1, 2, 3..._

Everyone in the house was shocked to see them wake up at the exact same time. It was like watching something rise from the dead. Haruka and Michiru quickly wrapped their arms around their 'daughter' while Usagi cradled ChibiUsa. After a few minutes passed, the question lingered out of Usagi' s mouth.

"Do either of you know why you blacked out for about ten minutes?" ChibiUsa looked at her in shock.

"You mean it was only about ten minutes?"

"Yes, why?"

Hotaru spoke this time "Because it seemed as if it would have been longer than that."

Haruka and Michiru's head turned in unison at Hotaru while she gave her response. Haruka raised an eyebrow at the child before asking the next question. "Were you two able to keep contact with each other while you were blacked out?"

They hesitated at first, but eventually answered with a soft 'yes'. They were going to tell them everything they had experienced when the doorbell rang.

"Now who could this be?" Usagi asked as Ami went to answer the door.

Ami's mouth dropped when she saw a tall woman with her long hair in a bun, wearing her sailor outfit, and holding a time key standing in front of her.

"Pluto?" She asked in a not-so-sure type of voice.

"Yes my friend, but we don't have a lot of time. Please take me to where everyone is."

Like Ami, everyone had their mouth dropped when they saw the sailor senshi of time standing in front of them. She hardly ever leaves her time-post unless it was a real emergency. Hotaru and ChibiUsa ran straight into the time-guardian's waiting hands. She quickly gave the youngest girls a long, hard hug before sitting down to talk to the whole group.

She decided to change from her sailor outfit to her civilian clothes while everyone filled her in on what had happened to the girls before she walked in. She seemed a little confused but relieved that the girls were fine.

"Do you think this is all related somehow Setsuna?"

"I don't know just yet Makoto. You see, I am temporarily relieved until this problem is resolved. I believe that it is due to an evil presence causing time to malfunction because it is attacking only...certain...individuals."

It seemed as if she was going to hit the floor had it not been for Haruka and Makoto to catch her. "Thank you my friends. I am just tired from my time trip. I will go rest now and finish with the rest of the story later. I highly recommend you little ones get some rest after you eat also. Something tells me you are going to need the energy."

After everyone ate and went into their assigned spots, ChibiUsa and Hotaru lay on the beds and tried to work out what they were going to explain to the rest of their friends.

"So Hotaru, do you think those other people we saw are real?"

"Well, I'm not sure. You see, the only time we see them is when we are asleep right?" ChibiUsa nodded her head. "Then it is possible that they are just dreams that we have together. But when you think about it, dreams don't normally make you pass out. To add to that, Sets...Sailor Pluto is back. This has to be very serious for her to have to come out of her time dimension to help out."

"Now that you mention it, she did say that 'something told her' we were 'going to need the energy'."

"Do you think they are real ChibiUsa?"

"I...I sort of do." ChibiUsa said kind of unsure of the answer.

Crossing her arms. "You don't sound too sure of your answer."

"Well it does sound kooky. Two kids dreaming about the same thing that may actually be real people. Come on Hotaru, we have all seen plenty of weird things in the past, but this has to take the pancake."

Hotaru couldn't resist laughing at her pink-haired friend. "I guess we have seen some weird things haven't we."

By watching Hotaru relax, she too began laughing. Hotaru is her best and truest friend. She wouldn't laugh at her no matter how crazy her ideas sounded.

A female voice. "I could have sworn I heard Setsuna tell you two to get some rest."

A male voice. "Don't bother, it will just encourage them to stay up later."

They looked around for the source of the voices but saw nothing; even with the lamp on.

"Down here!"

They were relieved to see the forms of a purple-furred cat and a white cat, both with crescent moons on their foreheads.

"Luna, Artemis." Hotaru's voice itself showed she was glad the voices came from the feline pair.

ChibiUsa, however, was more curious to know why they had entered the room without making their presence known. "What's wrong?"

Artemis was the first to speak. "Nothing to be alarmed about. We had a call from Diana a while ago. She said to tell you both hello and that she missed you very much."

"And that she hopes to see us all again really soon." Luna finished the sentence.

Like ChibiUsa, Diana was from the future. She just happens to be the daughter Luna and Artemis.

Hotaru kindly lowered her eyes at the cat guardians. "ChibiUsa and I are glad to hear that Diana is fine, but this is us, tell us why you really came in here."

*sigh* Luna looked at Artemis to see whether she or him should start the conversation. She decided to.

"We just wanted to check to see if you two were going to be okay."

ChibiUsa smiled at them then took on an awkward look. "Well thank you, but we think you have a more serious problem to tend to."

Both cats cocked their heads to the side. Artemis swallowed hard before asking "What do you mean?"

In the distance. "You are such a slob Odango-atama!"

"I am not! You think you're so perfect but you're not. AND STOP CALLING ME ODANGO-ATAMA!!!"

One big sweat drop fell from the cat's head. "Oh well Artemis, I guess some things never change."

"You can say that again Luna."

On that note, both cats left them alone with their thoughts.

"Let's not try to think about it for now ChibiUsa. Let's just try and relax before we drive ourselves crazy."

"Sure thing."

On that, they both dozed off for a nap.


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours later, in a black pyramid on 3rd earth.

"Mumm-ra!!!!"

From a sarcophagus across the tomb, a mummy appeared.

Kneeling before the four statues, it spoke. "What is it you request of me, Oh Ancient Spirits of Evil?"

All four spoke in unison. "We have found new powers for you to use to destroy your enemies and rule the universe."

"Please tell me, what powers are there in the world that is mightier than the Sword of Omens?"

Their answer was simple. "The power of the minds."

Mumm-ra looked as if they had given him an impossible riddle to answer. "I do not understand what you mean ancients ones. Every being alive knows the limitations of who has the power of the mind. So how can a power such as this be of an advantage to me?"

"Do not underestimate our knowledge or the power of the mind Mumm-ra! You of all beings know first-hand on how powerful the mind is. Take the Thundercat Cheetara for example. Her sixth sense has foiled your plans numerous times."

He managed to bite the comment he was ready to make towards the cheetah female. He was also ashamed that a woman could have more power over her own mind than he could ever control. The spirits continued to speak.

"There were beings that came during two different eras of 1st Earth: two were from the future, two were from an alien planet. The two from the alien planet were called Jurians and they possessed mind powers such as the cheetah. They came and began to adapt to the ways of the planet.

The others are a bit more complex. They were born on moons and planets adjacent to the Earth put were reborn as Earthlings in a different lifetime. When they regained their memory after the rebirth, they protected the Earth with an enormous amount of energy. They were called Sailor Senshi. The main difference with the beings we are concerned about and the cheetah is that they learned how to use their powers and manipulate them while they were young. They also were not drained of their energy after using their given mental powers. If you are able to harness all of mind power, you will be the most powerful being this side of the universe."

Mumm-ra was still trying to take in all of the information he was receiving while the ancient spirits kept talking. "There is one other thing. Each one has a leader, and they hold power just as Lion-O holds power in the Sword of Omens. So Mumm-ra, are you interested in this new power, or would you retire to your slumber for another one thousand years?"

"I will accept the task. What will I need in order to capture the mind-bearers?"

"Look in the cauldron Mumm-ra."

When he looked in, the image had split into three areas. One showed two thunderian girls asleep; the other showed two more alien-looking girls with strange markings on their foreheads, daydreaming; the final piece showed a pink-haired child and a black-haired child taking a nap.

"What does this mean, O Ancient Ones? That children sleep all the time?"

"No fool! Don't you see? They are linked through their dreams. They have them but so often and the next time is coming soon and you need to be ready. After they connect with each other the final time, everything will become clear to them. That is when you will use the power we give you in order to capture them. You will know what to do when you have them. Look into the cauldron again."

This time the image was totally different. There was a woman sitting on a throne dressed in a long black gown with short hair. In her hand was a syth in the form of a double-bladed sword and a 'T' ' in the middle of her ford. Beside her was a child who looked no more than about 11 years old. She too had on a black dress except it had long sleeves on with the shoulders cut out showing her skin. Her hair was longer, but just as black as the older woman's. The symbol 'T 'was on her ford also.

All around them was chaos: the sound of pain and agony, fresh cold water being turned into burning hot blood, homes reduced to rubble, no plants or trees, no peaceful animals, only fierce and deadly ones, men lying dead on the ground, women taking their last breaths, children being held in cages crying from the lost of their parents, the cold wind howling through the plain, and darkness surrounding the areas it touches turning everything black. The only thing left is a dark cloud hovering around the two dark figures. While the cloud continued to grow, there was only one thing seen and heard: two dark eyes peering at everyone and the sound of the two the women laughed in an icy-cold voice...

Had the ancient spirits not been over his shoulder, Mumm-ra, the Ever-Living Mummy, would have shuttered at the sound of the voice.

"What evil is this you have shown me?"

"These two being were born of pure evil. The elder one is best known as Empress Ti'ria. The child-looking one is known as Lady Ti'shina. She is both Ti'ria's apprentice and heir."

"I thought the stories of them were just a myth."

"They are very real Mumm-ra."

"How is she able to produce an heir of pure evil? And if they are so powerful, where are they now?"

"Though Ti'ria is powerful enough to destroy an entire galaxy, she still needs an heir to take her place for a new era of evil beings. The child, as you saw, is just a ruthless as she is, if not more evil. As for where are they now, they are banished in an alternate dimension because of a pure source of goodness. From our knowledge, it just banished along with the evil. To this very day, they have been plotting on how to escape. Now is our chance to free them so they can aide in destroying our enemies."

"What you have shown me is the work of Ti'ria. So what is the power of the child?"

"She prays on your mind and fills your heart with your worse fear."

"How can you be so sure they will work with us?"

"They will. Did you believe you were the only one devoted to evil? So, will you continue on with this plan?"

"I will do what you command."

"Good. For now, rest Mumm-ra. You will need all of your powers in the upcoming weeks."

The four spirits' eyes stopped glowing, meaning that they were gone. With them gone, Mumm-ra returned into his tomb to sleep for his upcoming plan to rule the universe.


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days were really weird for everyone. So far, Cheetara and Pumyra knew about WilyKit's and Kitara's dreams; Ryoko and Washu knew about the ones Sasami and Ayelei had; and Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, Mina, Makoto, Ami, Rei, Usagi, Luna, and Artemis knew about the dreams ChibiUsa and Hotaru were having. No one knew what to think of the images. So far, everyone just assumed that the children were having the dreams because of the odd powers they were developing at such a young age ( after all, they possess some of the most powerful minds in the world). Pumyra had been considering giving them a scan of their brains to monitor the frequencies in their dream mode, to see if anything out of the ordinary was going on. She ultimately decided against it. If something was really wrong, they would have known by now...right?

"You-hoo! 3rd Earth to Pumyra." Bengali teased as he waved his hand back and forth in front of Pumyra's face.

"huh...oh, sorry Bengali. What were you saying?"

"I was telling you about how quiet it has been while you were off in another dimension. So where did you go? It's not like you to be so deep in thought without something worrying you."

"I was just thinking about the girls. They seem so tensed up lately, in case you haven't noticed."

"humm...I was wondering how long before you brought that up. I wonder what's bothering them. WilyKat said that every since those two have been hanging together Kit has been acting different."

"You mean...like a...girl?"

"I guess that's what he meant. I mean, from the time we have been around those two, Kit has been wrestling, fighting, taking bumps and bruises no thirteen year old should get, and does not always talk like a lady. _**Especially**_ around her brother."

"If something was really bothering them, I would think that Kit would talk to her brother and Kita would talk to Cheetara."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Come on, they confide in you sometimes don't they?"

"Well yes, but it is different now."

"How so?"

"This may be a personal problem. Kit is Kat's sister and Kita is Cheetara's sister. I don't see where I would mix in with that equation."

The rest of the walk inside the lair was silent between them. Bengali loved Pumyra so much and wanted to help her through her problems, but he knew her well enough. If she wanted to talk to him, she would do so willingly. He didn't push the issue anymore.

Before they opened the door to enter the control room of the lair, Bengali grabbed her hand and brought it up to his chest.

"Pumyra..."

For a few seconds, they just stared into each other's eyes, not wanting to spoil the moment they were having. After what seemed like forever, he spoke.

"Myra, if you want to talk, you know I am all ears."

"I know." She gently kissed him on the cheek, still having her hand to his chest. She stood on her toes and whispered "Thank you."

After breaking away, they entered the control room. They bowed to Lord Lion-O then greeted the rest of the Thundercats that were present in the room.

Panthro was the first to greet them. "Ho you two. We just got a call from Lynx-O and Snarfer telling us that you were on your way delivering the thundranium. Did you fall into any problems going to the abandoned mines?"

"None what-so-ever." Bengali folded his arms in disappointment.

Tygra laughed at the white tiger's tone. "Ha ha, you sound disappointed."

"Well Tygra, nothing has happened for a while now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but still...

...it would be nice to have some action around from time to time." Lion-O finished for Bengali.

A soft male voice called Panthro's voice from behind him. "uh...Panthro?"

Everyone turned around to see the three Thunderkittens looking at them.

"Yes Kat."

"Can you sort of...fix my spaceboard?"

"Why would your spaceboard need to be fixed?"

On instinct, Kit stepped back and pulled Kita with her. Kita, on the other hand, never made eye-contact with the others in the room.

"KAT!!!"

"I was riding when I crashed into a tree branch." Kat then stepped back in line with the girls.

By this time, Panthro was no more than three feet away from them and their backs were against the wall.

In a thunderous voice, he yelled, "HOW IN JAGA'S NAME DID YOU MANAGE TO CRASH THAT DANG-BLASTED BOARD OF YOURS INTO A TREE BRANCH!!!!!"

Kita quickly jumped in front of Kat. "It was my fault really Panthro, I am so sorry!"

"Explain to ME how is it YOUR fault the HIS board is BROKEN?"

"Well, when we were done scouting by the warrior maidens' Treetop Kingdom, I decided I wanted to run back instead of ride on the spaceboards with one of the twins. I also wanted to take the long way around the forest to see how my speed had increased. Kit and Kat tried to warn me about different creatures and dangers around the forest but I didn't listen, I just wanted to run. That was when I fell into hole. Kit had to use her lariat to pull me out. That was when I got on the back of the board with Kat. We kind of argued for a while before I lost my temper and jumped off the board at a high distance. I didn't know how high I was before I notice the top of trees. Anyway, Kat had to scoop down and catch me. As soon as I was on the board he started yelling at me again. I don't remember what we said but during the last tiff, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and we somehow lost our balance and crashed into a tree. Kit decided to walk back to the lair with us since all three of us couldn't ride on her board. And that's what happened."

Naturally, he wanted to know what they could be arguing about to make her jump off without thinking and Kat not to pay attention to where he was going; but Panthro didn't feel like interrogating it out of her since Cheetara wasn't there for him to discuss it to. "Fine, I'll fix it, but that means you two" pointing at WilyKat and Kitara, "will have to stay an extra session for combat training."

At the mention of 'combat training' they wanted to run out of the room. Instead, they just bowed their heads and answered him with a 'yes Panthro'.

"Go wash up for dinner, Snarf will be calling for you soon."

At Tygra's command, they left.

Pumyra crossed her arms and glared at the panther. "Did you have to yell at them like that?!" Bengali took a few steps away from his mate to stand by his Lord and fellow tiger. He knew what that tone in her voice meant: She was pissed!

"Look Pumyra, those three will have to learn how to be more responsible, especially Kita. We all care for them, but they have to know where we are coming from. I know those two twins; their heads are as hard as a reptilian mutant's."

"What do you know about Kita?"

"I know her well enough from Thundera."

"That was a different time. Are the twins the same as they were since they left Thundera Panthro?"

"Yes." Seeing the glare come from her. "They have changed a little bit."

Cooling down a bit. "Yes they have changed a bit. Try to understand, Kita does not understand a lot of things around here. I'm not saying take it easy on her because she does need to be careful. Just, explain things to her before yelling at the top of your lungs. The twins are use to it because they know when they are at fault. Kita, on the other hand, is still in the process of learning the do's and do not's of 3rd Earth. Can you try?"

*sigh* "I'll try."

She then gave him a strong hug. "Sorry I snapped to you like that. It's not like me."

"That's okay Pumyra, I understand." With a chuckle he managed to say, "I'm just glad this came from you and not Cheetara. She may have grilled me all the way back to when we were growing up on Thundera."

Laughter filled the room but was quickly replaced with the sound of a high pitched scream.

Bengali looked at his Lord. "What do you think that was Lion-O?"

"Not sure. Kita may have stepped on Snarf's tail agai...

"AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

In distance, they heard voices. "Kat get help!"

"Okay Kit, you stay with them!"

"Fine! Just hurry! Cheetara! Cheetara! Kita wake her up!"

"By the Gods of Thundera Tara please stop!!!"

At the sound of the last statement, they all raced for Cheetara's room. When they rounded a corner, they ran smack into Kat.

*panting* "Tygra, Pumyra, we need your help...Cheetara's screaming...girls are with her...holding her head...won't wake up...

Panthro gently shook the boy by the shoulders. "Kat, Kat, Kat. Slow down, we can't understand a word you're...

"AAAHHHH!"

Kit and Kita scream. "HELP!!"

Pumyra tore ahead of them first. This proved that her being pregnant didn't slow down her puma speed a whole lot. The sight she saw froze her in her spot as she entered the room.

Cheetara was lying on her bed with the covers thrown off, screaming and holding her head. Tears were falling from the cheetah's face. Both of the girls were either trying to restrain her from hurting herself or trying to wake her up. They too had tears in their eyes from fear and worry. It took both Lion-O and Bengali to pull the girls off of Cheetara so Panthro can restrain her while Tygra and Pumyra try to figure out what was wrong with her.

Tygra had reached into a bag he had with him and pulled out a needle. Pumyra was so distracted that she didn't notice him inject the fluid into Cheetara's arm. Before they knew it, Cheetara was relaxed but was still crying and talking. As a matter of fact, she was still asleep.

"What did you do to her?!" Kita screamed as Bengali kept a firm grip on her waist.

"Be calm. I just gave her a muscle relaxer to keep her from hurting herself while we help her. I swear on Thundera that I did not sedate her Kita."

She was relieved that Tygra didn't put her to sleep but she was still worried about her sister. There was nothing she could do but try and not cry like a little baby.

Pumyra's attention turned to Panthro. "Get her to the medical room. Now!"

He picked the cheetah up and did what the puma instructed. Everyone followed and waited for the verdict on the cheetah.


	6. Chapter 6

"Teennn-chiii...!"

As Tenchi turned around, he was greeted with the everyday hug from Ryoko. This usually consisted of her wrapping her arms around him and nearly knocking him to the ground (sometimes she did).

After getting some air into his system from Ryoko 'hugging' him, "Hello Ryoko. Is dinner ready?"

"Sure is. Sasami and Ayelei asked me to come and get you."

"Those two. All this time I thought is was nice to have two royals in the house. I guess three is a charm."

Ryoko let go of Tenchi at his comment towards her 'sister'. Long ago, when Kagato kidnapped her, every memory in her mind was replaced so she couldn't not remember anything from her childhood. Two of those things were the most fond memories of her life: Washu, her mother, and Ayelei, her little sister. She never openly admitted it, but she wished she could have known Ayelei when she was growing up on Jurai.

After Ayelei escaped Kagato, she ended up on Jurai. Upon seeing her potential, she was brought up in the royal Jurian palace. Once she proved herself worthy of protecting Princess Sasami, 2nd Princess of Jurai, she was 'adopted' into the Jurian family. If it didn't make things worse, she was practically raised by the family of the one girl she truly despised: Ayeka. Prince Yosho had 'disappeared' without a trace, leaving Ayeka and Sasami alone. It also left Funaho and Azusa without a son. One day, Ayelei had saved Sasami's life (several times really) and Funaho had declared her to be her 'daughter', earning her the title Princess Ayelei, 3rd Princess of Jurai. Hence the name Ayelei Hakubi Jurai. From that day on, she posed as a foster daughter to the 1st Queen of Jurai.

Though she was the 'daughter' of the 1st Queen of Jurai, she took her rank behind Ayeka because she had a higher title than hers, being 1st Princess and all. She never told anyone, but she was granted the same rights and powers that Queen Funaho had and immunity from any harm from Ayeka and Sasami's mother Misaki, 2nd Queen of Jurai. This fact alone made Ryoko's stomach turn. She could have killed her that last time she tried to destroy the palace. Sasami too for that matter. Both of them meant the world to her. If she had killed them...

"Ryoko?"

"huh?"

"Did I say something wrong to upset you?"

"No."

She hated lying to him, but she didn't want him to have to worry about her little issues. "Let's just walk back home."

Walk? Something must really be upsetting Ryoko. She loved to fly. The only time she walks is if she is bothered by something really bad.

They made idle talk while heading for the house. As they were starting to open the door, Kiyone and Mihoshi ran right into them. HARD! To add to that, Ayeka fell on top of the pile while going out the door also.

"Kiyone and I were looking everywhere for you two!" Mihoshi wailed.

Kiyone managed to speak from her spot at the bottom of the pile. "Yes, you have to come quick!"

Ayeka stood up quickly and blurted out "Ryoko! Tenchi! It is Miss Washu, she is...

Ryoko didn't understand a word of what they were jabbering about. The only thing she knew is that the two galaxy space police officers and the princess ruined her walk with Tenchi. One that she may not have a chance to get for a while. The next words that came out of her mouth could have only come from anger.

"Look, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you all, but if she can't deal with her damn inventions, then maybe she should just retire or something! Right now, I don't give a f...

_Little Ryoko..._

Everyone was shocked to see her stop at the last word. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the voice.

_Washu? Is that you? What's wrong?_

In almost a whisper. _Help me._ The link was cut off.

_Washu? Mom? Mom! Answer ME!_

Ayelei _Ryoko, please come in the lab! Something is wrong with mom! Sasami and I can't wake her and her link is cut off!_

Ryoko _I'm on my way_.

Her eyes flew open and looked at the crowd around her. "Let's go! Something is wrong with mom! Move it!" Ryoko never called Washu "mom" unless she was teasing her or felt in a good mood (which was very rare). With the last order, everyone made their way into the lab.

When they got into the closet, they saw Ayelei had laid her on a futon and Sasami was dabbing a wet, cold cloth on her face. Washu, on the other hand, just laid there with sweat pouring down her face. Out of nowhere, Washu screamed so loud, it made every person in the lab jump. Tears were running down Washu's face as if someone had left a faucet running in the sink and wouldn't turn it off. There was no direct link to her so neither of her daughters or Ryo-oki could make contact with her. They would just have to wait it out.


	7. Chapter 7

"Any change?"

Ami looked at Haruka and sighed before answering her. "Yes and no."

Michiru poked her head from around Haruka. "Please explain to us what you mean by that." Just then, overhearing the conversation, all the other girls came in.

Makoto "Explain what?"

Mina "Is she better?"

Rei "What did she mean?"

"shh..." From the other side of the room Usagi shushed them with a finger to her lips. ChibiUsa and Hotaru were asleep in her lap and she didn't want them to wake up more worried than what they already are. "Ami?"

"What I mean is that Setsuna is stabilizing and no longer running a fever," taking a deep breath, "but still won't wake up."

She rubbed her head with her left hand while she read her records in her right hand that came from her mini-computer. "According to this, she is fine, she is just asleep. Yet I can't find a way to wake her up without causing serious problems to her mind."

Rei took the liberty of taking the clip board from Amy and led her to a spot to sit. "It's okay. You've done all that you can. We are very proud of you, but the rest is up to Setsuna now."

No longer able to restrain herself, Ami hugged Rei and began crying on her shoulder. _I'm supposed to be the smart one, the genius of he group_, she thought to herself. _If I am really so smart, why can't I help my friends_? The more she thought about these things, the harder she clung to Rei. When she felt Rei tense up, she let go.

"I'm sorry Rei."

"It's alright. It can't be more than a death-grip Usagi puts on me when she is scared." From over in her corner, Usagi stuck out her tongue at Rei, having heard her comment. A smile swept across everyone's face. It felt nice to have some comfort in times of need, and that really helped them.

No one could see what was wrong with their friend. One minute she was fine, then the next...

About an hour ago.

"..and til this day, they wait in an alternate dimension. If they were to ever break free, the goodness will come back to once again trap them in their eternal prison, never to darken its side of evil on the world again. The End."

"Wow Pu! That was a good story." ChibiUsa beamed after the story was over. She never ever called Setsuna by her name because she is used to her nickname 'Pu' for her.

"Yeah! Setsuna-mama, where did you hear such a great story?" Hotaru asked.

"Well I heard it from...hmm...actually I don't remember."

The girls gave her a puzzled look at the answer she chose to give them. They are use to what they called her 'wisdom talk'. This was just too...simple and not sure.

"What do you mean you don't remember?" ChibiUsa asked.

"Yeah, we would more than likely remember where we heard a story like that from. It should be published in a book or something."

Setsuna could not help but chuckle at the children's remarks. She loved them as though they were her own children. "Honestly girls, I don't recall where I heard it. Sometimes, when a story is wonderful enough, when it is told from the heart, it sounds as if it were passed down from generations. That is where a good story comes from: a good heart."

Now that was the 'wisdom talk' they were used to. Before they had a chance to ask her another question, Setsuna carried a blank look on her face. All of a sudden, she started to tremble. The odd thing about it was that she wasn't cold, but she was burning up. This was evident from the sweat beginning to fall from her head. To add to that, her breathing started to shallow; as if she couldn't get enough air into her body. This is what made the girls panic.

ChibiUsa ran to the door, stuck her head out, and called for anyone who could hear her little, scared voice.

"USAGI! MAKOTO! MINAKO! AMI! REI! HARUKA! MICHIRU! LUNA! ARTEMIS! SOMEONE PLEASE COME QUICK! PU IS HAVING PROBLEMS BREATHING!"

Within minutes, everyone was with her. ChibiUsa and Hotaru wanted to stay by her side but Usagi keep them from interfering with Ami and the others as they helped Setsuna. Ami somehow was able to get her to drink some medicine before she fell to 'sleep'. She had a tendency to come from her sleep state to mumble something about what she was looking at in her sleep. It didn't help Ami because she couldn't make out what it was she was trying to say. While she worked with Setsuna, Usagi held ChibiUsa and Hotaru in her lap; Makoto, Mina, and Rei went outside to get some air; Luna and Artemis went into the kitchen to be alone; and Haruka and Michiru stood in the living room, waiting for Ami to tell them something about their sick friend.

Haruka had sat down in the couch while Michiru went to look out the window. A cool gush of wind came from outside and went through her green hair. She thought about a picnic that she, Haruka, Setsuna, and Hotaru had one windy day. They had just taken Hotaru in as their daughter and were celebrating it. The other girls and cats were there also. The day was perfect.

Her thoughts then went to Hotaru. She had lost her mother at such a young age. To add to that, she and her father were taken over by evil, which caused her to awaken Saturn within her. Finally thinking she could start over as a baby with her father, evil returned, causing her to age from infancy, to four, finally to eleven.

After all of that, she still could not be with her father. They thought that after her last age progression, everything would be back to normal. Hotaru and her foster parents drove to the hospital to see him because Setsuna had informed them that he was very ill. Hotaru was the first to enter his room. He told her how much he loved her and how proud he was of her.

When the Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna enterd the room, he knew exactly who and what they were. "Promise me you will always watch over my Hotaru as if she was your own. Please do this much not for me, but for her." They all promised him. Hotaru held his hand until he took his last breath. After the funeral, Hotaru had spent more time with them and with the inners. One day after breakfast, Hotaru said she was going to see Makoto at her apartment so they could go to a festival. Michiru asked her why she was always doing so many activities each day. Hotaru turned around and looked at her three parents with a smile on her face and replied, "Life is too short to waste doing nothing. No one knows when their time will come, so I'm going to enjoy everyday as if it was the last." Tears of pride ran down each of their faces as she kissed them goodbye and made her way to Mako's place.

As the memories passed, Michiru hid her face behind her hands to keep anyone from hearing her sob. To lose Setsuna was going to hurt Hotaru the most. She couldn't bare to be the one to tell her that she may lose another parent. As her tears fell down her face, a gentle hand caressed her face and wiped the tears away. She turned to see Haruka looking at her with sympatric, yet hurting eyes. Michiru buried her face into her chest as Haruka rubbed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Shh...hey now. What's with the tears? She is going to be fine. You have to believe that Michiru."

"I know but...if we lose her..."

"We won't lose her. She is part of our family. Besides, she is too dedicated to her job to just give up without a fight. We just have to believe in her...together."

They continued holding each other in the same position for countless minutes. No one could do anything but wait for what was in store for them...

Present.

Luna and Artemis were sitting around Setsuna, watching her vital signs while Ami rested for a minute. Everything seemed to be going well when all of a sudden, Artemis stood up and Luna yelled "SETSUNA!" really loud. It shook everyone out of their trance and woke the girls up at the same time. Ami was quick to the cats' aide.

"Luna, what's wrong."

Almost in tears. "She...she stopped moving!"

Hotaru and ChibiUsa were in tears again.

Haruka dropped to Luna's level and asked "What do you mean 'she stopped moving'?!"

Luna merely dropped her head and leaned on Artemis for support. Ami quickly started feeling for pulses, but her attempt was in vein. She too lowered her head.

"No." Was all Michiru was able to mumble before she fell to her knees.

Mina cried on Makoto's shoulder while Usagi tried to keep a grip on ChibiUsa; Rei did the same for Hotaru.

Haruka dug her nails into the rug as she forced herself not to let tears fall from her face.

Ami did not give up hope. She began felling for different parts in Setsuna's legs, arms, and wrists. Finally when she got to her neck, she let out a laugh of relief. "She still has a heartbeat!"

Everyone crawled over to make sure Ami wasn't kidding. Setsuna was still alive! Luna and Artemis gave her a weird look. "But we saw..."

"I don't know how to explain that. The important thing is that she is fine no..."

"AAAHH! Please don't!" After her screaming subdued, she went to her relaxed state again.

"How long do you think this is going to last Ami?"

"I wish I knew Mina. I really do."


	8. Chapter 8

Inside their minds, the pictures of evil kept repeating themselves in different forms. The main thing that they saw were the two pairs of eyes and the laughter they made at the sight of the destruction they made happen. Out of nowhere, a white light pierced through the black cloud and started to make everything glow bright. Little by little, the evil gradually disappeared.

After the bad images disappeared, each woman tried hard to focus her own eyes on the other figures in front of her. Each one either saw a short girl with long pink hair, a tall woman with green hair in a bun who was wearing what looked like a low-cut sailor outfit with boots on her feet and a tiara in the middle of her ford, or a cheetah-like woman with spots in her hair and a cat sign on her chest. No one got an evil feeling from the other so they assumed that the other was safe.

Cheetara _Where are we?_

Washu _I was hoping one of you could tell me._

Setsuna _We appear to be in some sort of time scheme. What I want to know is how we all got here._

Washu_ That's a good question._

Cheetara_ I say we try to get out of here. First let's introduce ourselves. My name is Cheetara. I am a Thundercat from the planet Thundera who is currently living on 3rd Earth. My leader is Lion-O, Lord and leader of the Thundercats. _

Setsuna She still was not 100% sure about telling her secret to strangers, but felt as if though she should tell them a little about herself. Seeing as they pretty much freely gave them information about themselves and she was somehow already in her sailor uniform. _My name is Pluto but I am also known as a Sailor Senshi. My alias as a senshi is Sailor Pluto, after the planet Pluto. The other sailors and I of the solar system protect Earth against evil and wrong-doers. Our leader is the moon princess Sailor Moon._

Washu Washu had put both of her hands behind her head so her elbows were sticking out. _I wish my bio was that interesting but I'll give it a shot. My name is Washu, but you can call me little Washu. I stay on planet Earth in the Masaki home with six other females, a cabbit, two men, and one very handsome and powerful boy named Tenchi. Many in the universe know me as the most brilliant scientific genius in the universe. That just about sums it up for me._

Cheetara_ Aren't you a bit too young to be going all around the universe?_

Washu Little Washu put on a big grin._ Only to the untrained eye._ Cheetara didn't get what she meant by this but went with it none the less. If they are trapped here together, they may as well get to know each other while it lasted.

Setsuna _Those scenes of the men, women, and...children. _She trailed off.

Cheetara _Whoever did that truly has no heart and is purely evil._

Washu _Agreed. That was horrible but we still have to figure out how we got here. Hmm, I wonder if_...Washu tried making her laptop appear, but nothing happened. _Drat, I can't summon my computer so that option is out._

Following Little Washu's lead, Cheetara looked for her weapon, but found it was also gone. She could not even run at her top speed. As a matter of fact, she just floated in air with the other two. Pluto tried to use her staff also but she too found out that her weapon was gone.

Washu _Well, natural communication is out the window. Let's try to remember what happened before we were sent here_. Each woman thought hard when it came out.

In unison. _I was with the girls when_... Each woman compared the stories that were relayed to them from Kit, Kita, Sasami, Ayelei, ChibiUsa, and Hotaru.

Setsuna _This proves that they weren't going crazy, but what I want to know is how is this all linked together..._

Washu _...how did we get here..._

Cheetara _...and how do we get home?_

Female Voice _Everything will come clear very soon to you my friends but right now you must prepare for the evil that is yet to come._

The three looked around for the source of the voice. Nothing.

Washu _Was I the only one that heard that?_

Cheetara and Setsuna _No._

Washu _Good. _

Female Voice _Please listen carefully for there is not much time left. The children posse's great powers inside of them that will be awaken when the evil arrives. It is good because their powers will allow a pure source of good to appear, but if those who are evil get them first, all will be lost. Those images you have just witnesses is a small taste of what they evil ones will do if they are released. Only those who posses a pure soul will be able to defeat the evil ones. Head this warning friends._

Cheetara, Washu, and Setsuna couldn't help but notice something familiar about the voice. Cheetara was the first to ask the woman. _Who are you?_

Female Voice _You will all know soon enough. Be prepared and be safe. Please grab each others hand and I shall use my power to send you home._

Cheetara held Washu's, Setsuna held Washu's other hand, and finally Setsuna held Cheetara's other hand. A bright flash illuminated over the circle and the last thing they heard was the prayer from the female's voice:_ May the winds carry you to safely my friends._


	9. Chapter 9

Cheetara slowly opened up her eyes. Everything was blurry but she could feel someone's hand running through her hair. She knew only one person who could be doing that.

She took a good, deep breath. "Hiya tiger."

Tygra quickly lifted his head from the chair he was resting it on to look Cheetara in her eyes. As his left hand lingered in her hair, he placed his right hand gently on her hand that was near him. He bent down to her level and whispered to her, "Hiya yourself cheetah." Taking on a more scared and serious voice. "You had us so worried."

She allowed her free hand to come up and touch him on his cheek. "It will take a whole army to get rid of me." They shared a warm smile and a kiss with each other. Both of them loved each other but neither allowed it to come out because of the fear that it will disrupt their work and put their Lord in danger.

Tygra felt as if this was a good time to tell her how he felt because he thought he may not get another chance to tell her again. "Tara...I just...wanted to tell you that..."

Sensing what he was about to say, he took her hand away from his face and placed two fingers on his lips. All she said to him was, "Shh...there will be plenty of time for that so don't give me the pity talk because you think you're going to loose me if you don't tell me now. We both know how we fell about each other. When the time is right, we will both share it...with everyone." This was enough of an opening for Tygra. Listening to his friend, and lover, he nodded his head in her decision. He took her hand into his, brought it to his lips, and kissed the top of her hand as if a gentleman would. When he looked into her amber eyes, he had all the answers that he needed. They were so locked on each other, you would need a crowbar to pull them apart. It seemed as if they were going to kiss again when...

"Oh..sorry...I...I...was checking on Cheetara. If...if you want...I could leave...I mean...I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay Pumyra. I was about to leave and start on some work. She is all yours. See ya later cheetah."

"After while tiger." At her response, he left.

Pumyra raised an eyebrow at her friend before asking. "um...So about how long have you really been awake 'cheetah'."

Sitting up and counting off of fingers, "One, about five minutes; two, it's Cheetara or Tara for you; three, how long have you really been standing there for?"

Mimicking Cheetara. "One, I didn't know you had pet names for each other; Two, I've been standing here for about a minute; Three...tears now in her eyes...we thought you weren't going to make it."

Before Cheetara could react, in her puma speed, Pumyra wrapped her arms around her friend to make sure that she was really awake. "We were so scared for you!"

Cheetara wiped away Pumyra's tears and held her by the shoulders so she would be facing her. "Look at me. I'm fine. Really I am and I don't plan on going anywhere for a long time."

This caused her to hug her again. Once she realized she was fine, she backed away from her. "Well you had better be. I don't want the godmother of my child to slack off on the job and leave me alone."

Cheetara only laughed at her friend. "Okay, it's a deal. Did you want to tell the others I'm fine and awake now Pumyra?"

She thought for point two seconds. "No need to. Tygra already took the liberty of letting everyone know."

"Please tell me how you know that since I'm supposed to be the psychic of the bunch?" Cheetara asked while chuckling.

"Listen for yourself."

Both women heard the sound of people walking quickly down the hall. At least, some of them.

Snarf "Snarf, snarf, will you three kids slow down! If you fall, I will have to tend to you three too!"

Panthro "Snarf is right! At the speed you all are going, you'll break something on impact when you fall!"

Bengali "Are you sure she is up for visitors Tygra?"

Tygra "I don't think she wouldn't want anything more than to see her friends wish her a speedy recovery than for us to mope around feeling sorry for her."

Lion-O Kit! Kat! Kita! Knock before you go in there! Pumyra may be doing some tests on...

Pumyra backed out of the entrance of the door as the three children ran straight into the arms of Cheetara. After the kids were done, each Thundercat took turns thanking Jaga that she was fine.

"I'll go and tell Lynx-O and Snarfer that you are fine." Bengali said as he turned to go to the exit.

"Wait Bengali, I'll go with you." Pumyra and Bengali were almost out the door when they heard Cheetara yell their names.

"No Bengali! Pumyra! Wait a minute!"

Cheetara had tried to get up out of bed but only to be pushed into bed by Snarf. "Snarf, you are in no condition to be getting out of bed, snarf."

She eyed him before trying to get up out of bed, only to be pushed back into bed again by Panthro. She gave him the same glare she gave Snarf. Tygra and Lion-O saw the anger starting to come into her face so they quickly gave her a stern "CHEETRA!" together.

What could she do with that. An order given to her from her long time friend and her Lord. Two against one; who could argue with those odds?

"There is something that you all need to know. Lynx-O and Snarfer too."

Kit spoke up. "Can it wait Cheetara? You just came back to us."

Her sister spoke this time. "Yeah. We don't want you to overwork yourself."

For some reason, she couldn't stop looking at them. Between what they told her a few weeks ago and the vision she had just experienced, she didn't know how she was going to explain it to everyone.

"Did you have another vision Cheetara? Cause if you did, it was more intense than the others you have had in the past. Hey, maybe your powers are growing and you'll be really strong and you may be able to beat..."

"You're rambling Kat."

He stuck his tongue out at his sister for a moment before turning his attention back to Cheetara. "So was it a premonition you got?"

"Kind of."

Now that was weird. Cheetara was always usually sure of what she saw. If not, she got the message of it.

"What do you mean 'kind of'?"

Cheetara took another long look at the girls then turned her stare to Pumyra. Just by looking at the cheetah, she knew she saw what the girls had seen a while ago. Both girls also took her mood into count.

Kita _Kit, do you think she saw it?_

Kit _Without a shadow of a doubt._

Each girl took one of her hands and looked at her. They all nodded in agreement after a few minutes of silence. Before anyone could ask what they mentally talked about, Kit and Kita pulled Kat out of his spot and exited the room. Pumyra gave Bengali a quick kiss on the cheek then said, "I'll be right back" before following the kids out the door.

Lion-O scratched his head. "Where are those four going in a time like this?"

"They are going to get Lynx-O and Snarfer for me. There is something you all need to know. I'm not sure if I can explain it more than once."

A few minutes later, Lynx-O and Snarfer were in the room with Cheetara and the others. They quickly greeted her before taking a seat along with everyone else.

Kit and Kita sat on each side the bed while Pumyra pulled a seat next to Cheetara.

When everyone was seated and comfortable, Cheetara started. "Like I said, there is something you all should know. This also includes the vision that was sent to me..."

Kat blurted out "It was sent to you? I thought you got it like the othe..."

He was cut off by Panthro's hand covering his mouth. All he did was look at him and 'shushed' him.

"Allow her to finish before asking questions, agreed." Everyone agreed to Lion-O's decree and Cheetara continued.

"Yes, that vision was sent to me. I'll get to that later. First I would like to bring something else to your attention. A few weeks ago, while Pumyra and I were on watch at the Tower, the girls...


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh...my head." Notices Sasami looking down at her. "Hello Sasami."

"Washu, you had us so worried!" Sasami shouted as Washu slowly rose up out of her resting spot. Once she retained all of her senses, she noticed that she wasn't in her lab. "Where am I?"

"To think that you are the genius. Aren't you supposed to know everything in the universe?"

That comment could have come from only one person: Ryoko.

She wanted to say something to her but noticed that everyone was slowly starting to wake up.

Washu _Thank you for bringing me to yours and Ayelei's room. With the hot temperatures in the lab, I may surely have suffocated in there._

Ryoko _Don't mention it. I know you would have done the same thing for us, but I can't take full responsibility for it. Ayelei made you comfortable. I just brought you here._

Washu _Well, thank you both none the less._

They were broken from there link when they heard Ayelei wake up and yell "Mom!"

Washu didn't even have a chance to return the embrace before Ayelei knocked her back on top of the futon she was lying on.

"I'm so glad that you are okay now mom, but what happened to you?"

"It appears that you and Sasami weren't just dreaming."

Ayelei's face went one shade pale at the mention of the dream. "You saw it too?"

"Yes."

Ryoko whispered "So did I."

Sasami was confused at what Ryoko said. "How could you have seen it too?"

"Well I didn't exactly see it but I got some weird vibes. After all, what do you expect me to feel when my sister and mom are seeing things while we share a link together. It's not exactly like I have a choice in the matter."

Tenchi, Ayeka, Mihoshi, and Kiyone had been listening to the whole ordeal and were completely confused. This of course was nothing unusual from Mihoshi.

Ayeka put her hands on Sasami's shoulders and asked her "Sasami, what are you all talking about?"

Washu gently pushed Ayelei to Ryoko while she got into a kneeling position. The first moments were a little wobbly for Washu, but after a while she got her footing.

Ayelei put a hand to her heart and smiled. This must have been her silent way of saying she was thankful her mother was fine. _I wonder where she picked that up from_. Washu wondered to herself. "I'm glad you all are sitting in some form, because this is going to take a while to explain."

"That's fine Little Washu, but please make sure it is put in a sense that we all can understand."

"Consider it done Tenchi." Washu then explained how her dreams connected with Ayelei and Sasami's.


	11. Chapter 11

Like Cheetara and Washu, Setsuna also woke up. She quickly realized that she was once again in her regular clothes and not her sailor uniform. That question still lingered in her mind: _How was I instantly in my uniform if I didn't use my wand to transform?_ For now, she didn't bother with that explanation. Instead she filled everyone in on what had just happened to her in her subconscious state as they all walked to the dinning area to sit down.

"...and that's what happened." Setsuna finished.

"Did you see who it was that pulled you out of the real world?" Ami asked with curiosity.

"No. I saw an aura and heard her voice, but I didn't get a look at her face. Although, she did seem familiar to Washu, Cheetara, and I."

"_**Cheetara**_? That's a weird name. Why is she called that?" Usagi asked.

"It may be a namesake given to her race. She wasn't exactly human."

"Really. What did she look like then?" Was Mina's question.

Setsuna's answer was simple, "She looked like a female human version of a cheetah."

"Did she have blue eyes..." ChibiUsa started.

"...with a cat sign on her right arm?" Hotaru finished.

"No. Her eyes were an amber color and the cat sign was in the middle of her chest."

"That doesn't sound like the one you two saw girls." Haruka said as they sat back in their seats.

Rei quickly analyzed the information before remarking to the younger girls. "Yeah. Besides, you two said that the girls you saw in your dreams were about your age, not Setsuna's."

Makoto decided it was her turn to add her input to the conversation. She stopped stirring the soup in the pot for one moment to turn around and say, "Well Setsuna did just finish telling us that the one called 'Little Washu' seemed to be no more than a twelve or thirteen year old girl a few seconds ago." She then turned back to her meal she was preparing.

"Yes she did appear that way, but I believe there is more to her than her appearance."

"Why do you think that?" Was Michiru's obvious question.

"When Cheetara asked her a question reguarding her age, she smiled at her and said, 'Only to the untrained eye'."

"Wonder what she meant by that?" Was Makoto's question from out of the kitchen.

"Setsuna?"

She looked at Haruka's worried eyes before answering to her name. "Yes."

"The lady-voice-figure-thing...whatever, told you all that evil is coming right?" She nodded. "Well did she say what it was, when it was coming, or how we can destroy it?"

"I'm sorry Haruka she didn't. The only thing she said was for us to be prepared."

From her spot in her corner, Luna noticed the emphasis she put on the word '_**us'**_. "When she said **us**, did she mean _**us**_ the senshi, or _**us **_including the other beings she came into contact with?"

Artemis too was curious because he lifted his head for the answer to Luna's question.

Setsuna rubbed her head with a hand as if she was trying to remember something she may have forgotten. "I really don't know about that Luna. I really wish I knew."

"Okay you guys, enough if this worry stuff. If we are going to come up with a plan, there is no sense in planning on an empty stomach." Everyone was relieved that Makoto was around to make meals. She was, after all, a good cook.

"Slow down Usagi! At least show some dignity and wait for everyone to finish their first bowl before racing to seconds!"

"I don't eat fast Rei! You just eat slowly because you don't want everyone to see you pig out like you do in your natural environment: in the woods!"

"Slop!"

"Nag!"

"Cry-baby!"

"Bully!"

"You are such a pest ODANGO-ATAMA!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

ChibiUsa leaned over to Setsuna and whispered, "So Pu, would you have them any other way?"

"No Small Lady. Some things are better left unchanged."


	12. Chapter 12

"The time has come Mumm-ra!" Boomed the voices of the ancient spirits of evil.

"I am here to full-fill the task. What must I do to bring them here?"

"You will begin when a full moon shines on Earth. You must perform the chant in which we told you to say. Once you have completed the chant, you must allow some of your energy to fly into the cauldron. This will allow an opening for them to drift through. At this point it will not matter if they are sleep or not because they are now linked together.

After you have done this, you must seal them in a special chamber that will drain them of their powers. While they are weakening, you must capture their drained powers into a ritual vase and seal it. Once you have collected enough of their energy, cast the vase into your cauldron. This will create a gateway into other worlds. This is the only way for Ti'ria and Ti'shina to cross over to the present world."

"I have only one question spirits: Will they challenge me for the right to reign over this universe?"

"You forget this is not the only universe in existence? Their will is to control another dimension as you reign here on 3rd Earth."

Feeling that there was no alarm for a challenge, Mumm-ra waited patiently for the plan to begin working.

*************

In another dimension.

"Ti'shina!"

A child appeared from a black mist and bowed before the woman in front of her.

"You summoned me, my Queen?"

"Rise. Did you feel that aura a few moments ago?"

"I did, my Lady."

"As I thought. Some other being is trying to release us from this prison."

"Does my Lady believe it was the Ancient Spirits of Evil?"

"That I do. Or at least they are sending one of their servants to aide in this task." Looking down at the child, "Are you ready for what lies ahead of us beyond this realm?"

"I am, my Lady."

Chuckles. "Good. All the millenniums of waiting and practicing must have paid off for you. Will you continue with your training once we are out of here?"

"I will do what my Lady commands of me."

Placing her hand on Ti'shina's shoulder, "You have made me proud to call you my daughter of darkness. Come, let us prepare for our departure from this hell."

They both disappeared in a cloud of smoke.


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay Tygra I'm here for the watch. You can go to bed now."

"Thanks Cheetara. Where are the kids and Pumyra?"

"What makes you think I know?"

"Answer my question first and I'll tell you." he said with a sly smile.

"Okay. The girls are in the twins' room and Pumyra is resting in the spare room." Putting her hands of her hips, "Now how about that answer?"

"I know because you always know."

"You sure do have a way of answering questions, don't you tiger?"

They started staring into each others eyes again. When Tygra looked at her, he saw that she looked drained of her energy. She had started to sit down in the chair he was sitting in but he caught her by the arm.

"Tygra what's wrong?"

"I was going to ask you that."

"What do you mean?"

"You have been looking tired for I don't know how many weeks now." Placing his hands on her shoulders. "I would gladly stay this watch for you so you could get some sleep."

"Tygra, these past few weeks, all I have been doing is sleeping. Or trying to sleep at least. Besides, I have a job to do like everyone else. Look at Pumyra. She is pregnant but she still performs many of her usual tasks."

Pointing at her "You and Pumyra are different females. (1), she is pregnant and getting closer to her due date. She could have her cub anytime between today up until after her due date in two weeks. (2), you are being drained by these 'dreams' or whatever they are. At least get some rest."

*sigh* "Okay fine I will, but I have to at least do my shift tonight. It's only fair. Agreed?"

"Hmm, fine. Agreed."

Cheetara cuffed his chin in her hands and brought it up to her face to give him a sweet kiss. "Thanks for caring so much, tiger."

"Don't mention it, cheetah."

They were about to say more when the Lair alarms went off.

Taking a ready stance, Cheetara asked, "Tygra, what do you think this is abou..."

She was cut off when Panthro, WilyKat, Lion-O, and Snarf ran into the control room.

Panthro was going to ask what was going on when the Tower of Omens beeped in. Cheetara was quick to open the link. They then saw the view of Lynx-O, Bengali, and Snarfer.

Lynx-O was the first to ask, "What is the emergency my friends?"

"Is it Pumyra?", was Bengali's question.

Lion-O answered their questions. "We don't know what's going on and we haven't seen Pumyra yet. Now that I think of it", looking around the room, "WilyKit and Kitara aren't here either."

"No wonder. I just checked on them. They were in their rooms."

Bengali gave Cheetara a puzzled look. "Are you sure they were?"

"I am pretty sure. Why do you ask Bengali?"

"Well, Pumyra usually gets up when she's bored to check and make sure if everything is okay." It was evident that no one liked the look he was giving off. "Does anyone know why the alarms went off? She would more than likely come in there if she heard all of that noise."

"hmm, let me see." Everyone watched Tygra push in some keys when his face brought on a confused look.

Kat went to Tygra's side. "What is it Tygra? Is it Mutants or Lunatacs or space..."

"It came from in here."

Now everyone was officially worried. Like Kat, Panthro stood beside Tygra. "What do you mean Tygra?"

"Panthro, what I mean is that according to these readings, someone pushed the alarm that was on the corner of this hall."

"Which hall is that?"

He carefully read then bit his lip at the answer he got. "The hall that holds the kids', Cheetara's, and the spare room Pumyra are in."

"Oh,snarf snarf, if one of them did push it, why didn't they just come he..."

"Ahh! My...head!" Cheetara was bent over with her hands on top of her head. Tygra and Panthro were trying to keep her straight. Her pain seemed to be eased when she mumbled, "They're...in...trouble."

WilyKat looked at her with worried eyes. "Who is in trouble Chee..."

"The Sword of Omens is growling!" Lion-O yelled. Bringing the sword up to his eyes, he yelled, "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

_The sword showed him Pumyra getting up out of bed because of a sound she heard down the hall. She went into the room that WilyKit and Kita were in. She saw them both trapped inside force fields, but they were knocked out cold. This was when she hit the alarm, because she knew she didn't have time to get the others and come back. When she got back, they were slowly starting to disappear._

The image is gone.

Turning to the screen, "Bengali, Lynx-O, get here now! Snarfer, put up all the defenses and guard the tower until they return!"

"Tower, HO!" The link is cut off.

"Everyone, get to the twins' room now! Pumyra needs our help!"

Her pain seemed to be gone because in a burst of energy, Cheetara took off down the hall. As a yellow blur, she reached the room within seconds. She saw Pumyra in a corner, breathing hard. Then she saw the girls suspended in the air, about to disappear within the force fields.

On instinct, she went to get them. Seeing what she was about to do, Pumyra tried to warn her, "Cheetara, don't!" but it was too late. The force fields electrocuted her and sent her flying backwards right into the strong arms of Panthro. Everyone else was about to do what Cheetara did when the girls, and the field, vanished into thin air.

WilyKat was in shock. WilyKit and Kita were gone. His sister and friend. The only thing he could muster to say, along with everyone else, was "no".

Tygra ran to check on Pumyra. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. No physical harm done. What about Cheetara?"

"I'll live." was her response after Panthro let her go. Everyone just seemed to linger in the room until it all started to make sense. Although they didn't want to show it, they were scared for the girls. They had been in there for so long they didn't notice the presence of the other Thundercats.

"What happened in here?"

They all turned to see Bengali and Lynx-O standing in the door. Bengali took comfort in seeing that Pumyra was okay, but was still worried. Lynx-O's ears twitched a bit before he asked, "Where are the young girls?"

"We wish we knew Lynx-O." Was all Lion-O could say as they made their way to the control room to figure out what happened.


	14. Chapter 14

"Pleeeeassssse! Can't I have one more Kiyone?"

Every since dinner had passed, Mihoshi had been begging Kiyone to let her have more of the sweet cakes Sasami and Ayelei prepared for dessert; and each time Kiyone told her no, she started wining like a four year old child. This time, Kiyone's tolerance level was shot.

"For the last time Mihoshi, NO!"

"Waaah, but I want another one!" She was now on her knees and water was running out of her eyes like a sprinkler.

"What's going on?"

"Well Tenchi, she wants more of the sweets but I keep telling her that it is too late for cake. Each time I say no, she throws a tantrum like a little baby." Balding up her fist. "Sometimes I wish that she'd just..."

"Ohh, I'm sorry Kiyone! Please don't be mad! Waah!" More tears. A big tear drop fell down Tenchi and Kiyone's head. At the sight of more tears, Kiyone held up both hands, trying to comfort her partner.

"It's okay Mihoshi! Don't cry! I'm not mad, really! I didn't mean to yell at you! I just don't want you to get sick! Please stop crying!"

*sniffling* "Okay Kiyone."

"You know, it amazes me that you are the only one that knows how to shut up her blubbering."

Everyone looked up and saw Ryoko levitating on her beam upon the roof. It was obvious that she was awaken by Mihoshi's crying and is now irritated. She was about to say more when she glanced over at Tenchi's direction. A wicked smile swept across her face. "So Tenchi, want to watch the sun rise with me?" Tenchi could do nothing but blush at her request.

"Why are you bothering Lord Tenchi at this hour, you pest?"

"Ah, so crying woke the little princess up. It seems to me you need to catch up on your beauty sleep more often Ayeka. The bags under your eyes and the wrinkles are pointing to it."

"How dare you!"

"What? Don't get mad at me because I told the truth. But then again, the truth does hurt, doesn't it."

Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Tenchi watched as the fight rage on with insults until they heard Ayeka call for her guardians (she usually does this when Ryoko is winning with words). They all knew what was coming next. Tenchi thought to himself, _please don't let them destroy half the house this time_.

"Azaka! Kamidake!"

Both of the logged guardians appeared beside their princess. In unison they answered "Yes ma'am?"

"Teach this pest a lesson that she will never forget!"

"Yes ma'am!"

They each got on opposite sides of Ryoko. They were about to trap her in their energy field when she disappeared and reappeared in front of Ayeka.

"So you wanna fight do ya? Let's just see how well you do without your wooden protectors!"

Before Ayeka could react, Ryoko reached out her arm, grabbed Ayeka around the wrist, and sent a bolt of electricity to her. While she was busy laughing at Ayeka scream, she didn't notice the guardians sneak up behind her. In an instant, she was trapped inside of their barrier while waves of energy shot through her that felt like lightning. Ayeka was about to slap the captured Ryoko when she heard a voice say "Release her this instant!"

"Yes Princess!"

Once they put their defenses down, Ryoko dropped to the floor. She was going to charge at Ayeka but she found she was frozen in mid-air. This means that someone used their powers to stop her in her tracks. She knew only one person in the Masaki house that could do that.

"Let go of me Ayelei!"

"Not until you two calm down and stop acting like spoiled babies!"

"How dare you call my guardians off!"

"First of all Ayeka, remember we aren't on Jurai anymore and you can't order me around. So I would advise you to stop raising your voice at me; Second of all, you know I can't do that. So you put two-and-two together genius!"

Ayeka was livid with her remarks. She was truly Ryoko's sister. Once common sense slammed back to her, she realized the only other person who could call off her royal guardians.

"Sasami?"

From behind Ayelei, Sasami appeared while holding the hand of the sleepy four year old Ryo-Oki.

"Why did you call on them for that? You woke everyone up because of the fight."

"I apologize for waking you, Ryo-Oki and...

Looking at Ayelei.

..._**her**_ up."

Sasami frowned slightly. She loved her sister but she hated it when she referred to Ayelei other than her name. In fact, it seemed Ayeka resented her even more when she found out she was Ryoko's sister. Ayelei saw the look on her face.

Ayelei _Don't worry about it Sasami. It doesn't bother me._

Sasami _That doesn't mean she has to do that though._

Ayelei _I know, but that's just how she is. I can't expect her to change any more than you can. _

Sasami_ You know there is a lot of things about you she doesn't know. Speaking of which, you can't slip up like that again. What if I weren't here when she heard you call them off?_

Ayelei_ I don't know. I don't believe she is ready to hear a lot of things about me..._

Washu _Sorry to interrupt girls, but do you think you can let Ryoko go free from your mind grasp?_

They both saw Washu standing behind them crossing her arms. Instantly, Ayelei let go of Ryoko and she gently levitated to her floor.

_Ayelei How much of that conversation did you listen to?_

_Washu I didn't listen in on anything. I just figured you two were talking about these two kids here. _

Convinced her mother was telling her the truth, she looked directly at Ryoko's eyes. She was indeed pissed. "Sorry Ryoko."

"Whatever." Taking notice at Washu for the first time. "And to what do we owe the honor of the universe's most brilliant scientific genius being up at this hour?"

"Smarty-pants. Who could sleep with you all making this ruckus? Honestly, I believe these childish antics could have waited until the sun came up."

Mihoshi decided it was her time to add her input to the conversation. "No sun! Just a bright, beautiful, full moon. Hey Kiyone?"

"Yes Mihoshi?"

"Is it just me or is the moon brighter than usual?"

"Mihoshi it's the moon for crying out loud! It's supposed to be bright!"

Mihoshi began tugging at Kiyone's sleeve. "Please Kiyone! Just take a look at it!"

Tenchi was standing right beside the window, so he decided to look at the moon to please Mihoshi. He let out a small gasp. "Uh girls? I think Mihoshi has a point."

Washu then looked out the window. "That's odd. I don't ever remember it being so...bright." Everyone went to look out the window. Anything that had Washu wondering was really something to look at.

Tenchi looked back to see Ayelei and Sasami still standing in their same places. "Come take a look you two. It is really pretty." The next thing he saw was Sasami put on a panicked face and Ayelei seemed to be very worried. "What's wrong?"

"Tenchi we can't move!" Ayeka spun around to see the look on Sasami's face. Her facial _expression matched her tone.

Ryoko and Washu gave Ayelei a 'you know better' look. Washu started to say something but Ryoko cut her off. "Okay enough games! Stop playing around Ayelei!"

The whole time, Ayelei had been looking at her feet. She picked her head up for the first time and looked Ryoko and Washu square in the eyes. In almost a whisper, "I'm not doing it!"

Her voice alone carried a tone that both women had not heard since she was a little child: fear. While Ayeka worked on freeing Sasami from her spot, Ryoko tried everything she knew how to do to try and free them. Out of nowhere, a massive energy field appeared around each girl. Each one tried to reach for their own sister only to be shot to the opposite side of the room from the affects of the energy field. The force of it caused everyone else to follow suit with the wall.

After rubbing her sore head, Washu looked back at the captured children. "Ayelei, try and phase out with Sasami!"

"I already tried! It won't work!" Looking over at Sasami. "Oh no."

Everyone was almost in tears when they saw the girls begin to disappear. Thinking quick, Ryoko dematerialized between the force field. They were almost gone when Ryoko grabbed them by the wrist.

"Hold on tight girls!"

Sasami was frantic. "Help us Ryoko!"

She looked up to her right to be face-to-face with her sister Ayelei. "Please don't let us go Ryoko!"

"I won't! Just hold on!"

With each second, more of them started disappearing. Ryoko attempted to phase them back, but it didn't work. Before she knew it, their hands were transparent. This is what caused them to break away. The last thing she saw was them screaming her name.

"RYOKO!!!" They were gone.

Silence

Unable to control her anger, Ryoko banged her fist against the floor and yelled to the top of her lungs while crying. "NNNOOOO!"

Washu wrapped her arms around Ryoko and soothed her hair. "Shh...it's okay. I promise, we will get them back."

"How could you let go of them! This is all your fault Ryoko!"

Ryoko took Washu's arm from around her neck and stood so she would be looking Ayeka directly in the face.

"How could I? How couldn't you? You didn't even try to pull them back! At least I tried! What's your excuse Ayeka? Couldn't bare to look your sister in the eye and admit you can't protect her?"

Tears were now streaming down her face. "No. I knew I was powerless to save her from...whatever that was. That is why I was counting on you to bring her back. At least now I know I can't rely on you for anything. Not even to bring my sister back!"

"Sorry to inform you Ayeka, but your sister isn't the only one who is missing here! Our main priority is to bring them both back. What do you have against Ayelei anyway?"

"My problem is that she is the sister of a no-good space pirate and didn't have the right to be in the palace of nobility. My guess is that whoever took them is an enemy of yours or hers. You have brought nothing but misery among my family every since you made your entrance."

"How can you blame a child for something she has no control over? Why don't you get the hell off your high horses and help us find them!"

"You little..."

"THAT IS ENOUGH! This is not about blame. We should be trying to find them, not accuse each other of why they are missing in the first place. Ryo-Oki, Kiyone, Mihoshi and I are going in the lab with Washu to try and locate them with some of her equipment and the galaxy police technology. I understand you two are upset about what just happened. Really I do. But you two of all people know when to get serious about something and leave childish stuff alone. You can come with us into the lab to help, or you can go outside and fight. Either way is fine with me!"

Tenchi had never spoken to them, or anyone, in such a manor. He must really be worried and/or livid with the events that had just taken place. The fight was instantly stopped and everyone went to the lab to try and locate their missing family members.

One by one they went into the lab. Ayeka went in and Ryoko floated behind her. They didn't speak a word to each other let alone look in the other's direction. With her back turned to everyone, Washu sat on her floating pillow typing away in her laptop like a mad scientist. Everyone could see that she was trying not to break down in front of everyone. She was also mad at Ryoko for acting like a child. Of course Ayeka started it first, but she thought Ryoko would be 'mature' and walk away from it. Noooo! Not Ryoko and her pride! Ryoko felt the vibe she was giving her and misunderstood how Washu was feeling towards her.

Ryoko _Are you as mad at me as Ayeka and Tenchi?_

Washu *scoffs* in mild irritation,_ Why would I be mad at you?_

Ryoko _Because I failed in protecting my sister. Now you're ashamed of me for being weak._

Washu instantly stopped typing. She had never heard Ryoko feel so guilty. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing how Ryoko felt. Thinking to herself, _she feels bad because she felt as if she couldn't protect her sister_. Tears were starting to fall from Washu's face. Talking to Ryoko, _I could never be ashamed of you Little Ryoko. In fact, I'm proud of you. I couldn't ask for a better daughter._

Ryoko was stunned. Once again, silent tears began falling down her face. _But aren't you mad as Ayeka and Tenchi?_

Washu _Ayeka is upset because she feels as if she failed in protecting her sister like you do. She lashed out at you because, far as I know, you'll the only one that will put up with it. Tenchi is just tired of hearing you two argue. You and Ayeka are pretty good friends...at times. Don't worry dear. Everything will be back to normal once we get them back._

Ryoko _Thank you...mother. _

Washu felt pride in her heart and started typing on her laptop, determined to find the two missing people in her family. After what seemed like, forever, her computer started beeping.

"What does that beeping sound mean Little Washu?"

A smile swept across her little face. "That, Tenchi, means that we found the girls."

Everyone started jumping up and down. Then something occurred to Ryoko. "So how exactly did you find them?"

"Easy, I locked my coordinates to their DNA make-up. Think of is as a lost person's device but instead of using a fingerprint to identify the person, use some of their DNA to locate them directly."

"Oo..kaay...?" She still wasn't sure what she was talking about but seemed to get most of it.

Mihoshi was still lost. This was not an unusual thing for her. "How did you find them Washu?"

One big tear drop fell down everyone's head. Kiyone simply put her right hand on her head while Washu tried to talk to her partner.

"I just answered that question Mihoshi! Didn't you hear a word I was saying?"

She thought for a few seconds while she tapped her face with her left index finger. "Umm..nope. I didn't hear a word you said about you using the DNA to find the girls."

Everyone fell over. Washu looked at her with a dry face. "Well just try and pay attention next time, okay Mihoshi."

"Okay!"

*sigh* "Anyway, according to these, they are...."*gasp*

Ryoko and Ryo-Oki were quick beside her side. "Myeow, Myew."

Washu nodded her head at Ryo-Oki. Everyone was looking at her for an understanding of what Ryo-Oki had just asked her.

"Translation..." Ryoko started, "She asked her if they were in another time."

For the first time since the argument, Ayeka spoke. "Do you know how they got there?"

Washu shook her head. "That part I don't know but one thing is for sure, they are in the future."

Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "Any ideas how we can get there?"

"I can open up a portal to where they are."

"Washu, do you think you could make it big enough for us to take the ship in?"

"Yes but I wouldn't risk trying to make it come through Kiyone. You see, the mass of the ship is bigger than all of us put together. It could puncture something if it can't fit causing a type of black hole that could suck this entire world in it."

"So what do we do if we run into problems?"

Just then, the four-year-old Ryo-Oki started jumping up and down. "Meya, Meow, Meyow?"

Ryoko pat her on the top of her head. "That's right Ryo-Oki. If we run into problems you will be there to help. Right?" She happily nodded at her companion.

Washu stood up in front of everyone. "So is everyone okay with going into the future to get the girls?" Everyone nodded at her. "Okay then, go and prepare yourselves. I don't plan on leaving until we have both of them back home safely."

Tenchi went in his room and packed a few pieces for the trip. By now, he was draped in his traditional Jurian warrior attire and battle markings. He even took the liberty of taking his sword, Tenchi-ken, that his grandfather gave him. He looked at the sword and thought for a moment. _I wonder if I will have to use you again_. He then hooked it to his side and proceeded out the door.

Meanwhile, Mihoshi and Kiyone were packing their clothes, guns and handcuffs (just in case the kidnapper was on the galaxy police's most wanted list). As they were about to head out the door, Mihoshi asked Kiyone a question no one thought she was capable of saying.

"Kiyone?"

"Yes Mihoshi."

"Do you think they will be alright until we reach them?"

Kiyone looked at her partner. She knew that Mihoshi cared for every living being, but this actually had her worried. No, not worried, but scared. Of course it would. Next to Kiyone, Sasami and Ayelei are like sisters to her (big sisters in her state of mind). Kiyone placed a caring hand on Mihoshi's shoulder before answering her question.

"I believe they will be fine until we reach them. That much I am sure of. Come on. Let's get back to the lab. I'm sure everyone is waiting for us."

"Okay."

In the kitchen.

Ayeka was dressed in her Jurian warrior clothes and traditional war markings. She was done packing her items and had just called for her guardians to come inside. She then instructed them to go into Washu's lab and to wait for her. When they left, she sat down in a chair by the stove. She was holding the dress Sasami wore when she cooked. It was a cute pink and white dress with a orange carrot in front of it. Tears formed in her eyes and started to fall again. Aloud, she talked to herself.

"How could I allow this to happen? If I'm the oldest then why couldn't I protect them?"

"It's not your fault or anyone's..."

Ayeka picked her head up see Ryoko standing by the entrance of the kitchen door. She too was dressed in her fighting clothes. Ryoko continued.

"...sometimes things happen that are out of our control. When that happens, we deal with them together. Don't worry. Ayelei will keep her safe until we get there to bring them home."

"I know she will."

They sat in silence for a moment before Ryoko moved by the window to look out. "I never knew why Ayelei liked this spot to sit down. The way I see it, she either wants to keep an eye on the scenery outside or she just wanted to stay close to Sasami."

"Yes, they are rather close aren't they?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"Ryoko...I...just...wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We all said things we...sorta didn't mean."

"I know I'm one of them." said a male voice from around the corner. Tenchi came in with his bag draped over his right shoulder and his sword tied to his side.

Ryoko and Ayeka notice the sword before they noticed anything else about him. Ayeka stood up from her spot in her chair. "Do you think we will need the help of your 'Tenchi'?"

"I hope not. You two know I meant what I said right? I'm sorry for yelling at you like..."

Ryoko held up her hand. "No Tenchi. We should be the one to say sorry to you. We see now that we should work together and leave the petty stuff behind...at least until we come back home with them."

Ayeka nodded her head at Ryoko in agreement as she put Sasami's dress in her bag.

"Good then. Let's go to Washu's lab. Everyone else is already there." Both women followed Tenchi into Washu's lab.

When they entered the lab, they saw that everyone was ready to go. Ryo-Oki was now in her cabbit form and was waiting with the others for Washu to give the orders. Tenchi noticed that Washu had a small handbag with her.

"Is that all you are planning on taking?"

"I have everything I need right here." She said with a grin on her face. It then turned serious. "Okay everyone, I am about to open the portal. I want you all to keep your guard up because we have no idea who or what we may run into. Tenchi, the way I've figured it out is that as long as the gems are attached to your sword, your grandfather's life will continue to progress as it has been these past 700 years. However, if you do for some reasons remove them; do not allow them to stay out for more than a day. He will slowly fade away if you do. Do you understand?"

Tenchi nodded at her. Washu must have figured out that Tenchi was going to take his sword so she quickly ran through the possibilities of worse case scenarios for the former prince of Jurai.

"I also left a note for him and your father when they come over." Washu looked around at everyone to see their facial expressions. She knew they were waiting for her to finish saying what they all thought. "Also Tenchi, I sent a note to your Aunt to let her know we had somewhere of importance to be so she could keep Mayuka a little bit longer."

Everyone let out an air of relief. Thought Mayuka was a cross between Tenchi and a demon, they still loved the little girl. Washu noticed Ayeka put her hand to her heart and smile. _So that's where Ayelei gets it from_, she thought to herself.

"Since that's done with, are you all ready?"

Everyone nods to her. "Alright then." She typed a few words on her laptop, then, before they knew it, a hole was created in the middle of the room. When you peered into it, the hole seemed to be a small tunnel leading to an opening. It had to be no more than about four feet long. "Go on ahead."

The first person to walk through, or float through rather, was Ryoko with Ryo-Oki on her shoulders, followed by Tenchi, Ayeka and her guardians, Kiyone holding Mihoshi's hand because she started crying about not wanting to go into a big black hole, and finally Washu. Everything was going smooth. Tenchi stepped out into a clearing that seemed to be in the middle of an open field. As a matter of fact, it was a long, thick path.

One by one, everyone got out of the hole without any problems, until it was Washu's turn. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get with the others. Ryoko tried phasing through it, but it didn't work. All of a sudden, the hole and Washu just disappeared. For all they knew, they were stuck in this weird time with who knows what running around, and three people in their family missing.

"Kuso! Now we have to find out what happened to her?" Ryoko hissed as she floated in the air.

Tenchi thought a while before saying anything to anyone. "Listen. I don't know what's happening, but we will find everyone. I believe we have to go at this one problem at a time. I'm getting a strong feeling that this is all related somehow. For now, let's see where this path takes us. It may answer some of our questions." Everyone agreed to his proposal and started walking down the path. Thinking to himself, _Please be safe until we find you all_.


	15. Chapter 15

"ChibiUsa! Hotaru?"

"They're not in here Usagi. I just checked."

"ChibiChibi!"

"Thanks Diana." Diana had returned to them a few days ago for a visit with everyone. ChibiChibi also mysteriously appeared around the time Diana had. No one knew where she had been or how she returned, but they were glad to see her none-the-less. This gave ChibiUsa a chance to get to know her the way all of the other girls knew her. ChibiUsa, Hotaru, Diana, and ChibiChibi quickly became an inseparable team.

Now they were helping everyone try and find ChibiUsa and Hotaru who just...disappeared into thin air. Diana was on her way into the room the girls were in when she heard a scream from behind the door. Once she got in, the last thing she saw was them disappearing into...well...nothing.

"Are they in there Usagi?" She turned around to see Makoto and Mina walking in.

"No. Did you or Mina find anything Makoto?"

"Sorry but no we didn't."

Ami, Rei, Luna, and Artemis entered the room that Usagi, Diana, ChibiChibi, Makoto, and Mina were in.

"Anything?" They all just shook their heads at Usgai. "Have Haruka, Michiru, or Setsuna come back yet?"

"We just walked in." Everyone turned around to see Michiru come into the room being followed by Haruka and Setsuna. Their faces told them that they didn't find them either.

Usagi put on a brave face for everyone. "Don't worry Michiru. We'll find them." Turning to look at Ami. "Ami, do you have any idea where they could be?"

"I will have to do some research to find...wait a minute!"

Luna jumped at the pitch that came from Ami's voice. She hardly ever uses that tone. "Ami what's wrong?"

"We can't find them as regular people, but we can as senshi!"

Everyone gave her a confused look. Makoto was the first one to ask what was obviously on everyone else's mind. "Please explain how we can find them as senshi?"

"Okay. You see, it's sort of a theory, but the way I see it is if we lock our energy on their coordinates, we will be able to transport where they are. At least I assume we will be able to if their kinetic energy doesn't continue to accelerate or not and if their molecular particles and atoms will..."

Makoto raised an eyebrow at Ami. "Would you be as kind as to say that in terms I can understand please?"

"I mean use the Sailor Teleport to go where they are."

"What if they are not in this time dimension?"

"I guess we will find out whenever we get there Makoto. I assume Setsuna does not have the power to take all of us there. Do you?"

"I believe I may have the power to do that but...without knowing exactly where they are, we could end up in any dimension. I also don't know how long it would take me to regain enough energy to bring us back home to the present time."

That was when Rei brought them on a little problem they could encounter. "We don't even know if this is some type of trap for us. Who knows what type of evil is lurking out there."

Haruka shook her head in agreement. "I understand how you feel Rei, but right now Ami's idea sounds more full-proof. If it will help find the girls, then I'm in."

"I agree with Haruka." Michiru said as she stood beside Haruka. She then scrunched up her face. "But we have never done it as a whole group before; not completely anyway. Do you think it will work?"

"Yes. The more of us it is, the more energy used to teleport. Also, with you, Haruka, and Setsuna, we will have more than enough energy to get us there and home." Ami then stood in front of the group. "Do we all agree?"

Usagi. "I agree."

Mina. "I agree."

Makoto. "I'm in."

Rei. "Yes."

There was only one vote missing: Setsuna. Everyone looked to her while she was staring out the window at the full moon. It seemed so odd to her. She thought to herself,_ could this have something to do with the warning that was given to me and those other two beings? _

Just as she was getting deep into her thoughts, a hand was placed on her shoulders. She looked to see whose hand was on her. It was Usagi.

"Setsuna? Are you okay?"

"I was just thinking..." She stopped herself.

"You know, if you don't agree with the plan, we all understand. Going through time is dangerous and..."

"No it's not that. The other day when I got the warning..." She stopped again.

"Oh." Smiling, "If this or the warning has something to do with ChibiUsa and Hotaru, we will deal with it...together."

Returning her smile. "I know we will. I agree to go along with the plan."

"Okay then. Are we all ready then..."

"I wish to go along too." Everyone looked shocked to see that the request came from Diana who was, at the time, standing in front of ChibiChibi.

Artemis took no time in rejecting her request. "No Diana, you can't go."

"But I.."

"He's right Diana." Luna started. "You can't go into the far future because it's too dangerous for you."

Diana went and stood in front of her parents. She gave them a look of determination. As she talked to them, everyone in the room noticed that her tone had taken on that of a mature cat.

"I believe it is important for me to go. From the day I was born, I was brought up to become the guardian cat of Princess Small Lady. She is the future of Crystal Tokyo and it is my duty to guide her through the good and bad. She will need help with this mission and I feel I can help...and grow at the same time. Please let me go."

Artemis and Luna were stunned. They didn't want her to go because they were afraid she would get hurt. After hearing this, they knew she would be safe with the others. Each cat looked at their charge they were assigned to train. Mina winked at Artemis and Usagi nodded her head at Luna; their way of saying she would be in good hands.

Both parents nodded at her with approval as she hugged them goodbye. She then went and took her spot beside ChibiChibi.

Luna proudly looked at the people before her. "Come back soon..."

"...and please be careful." Artemis finished.

"No problem!" Usagi looked around at everyone as they pulled out their transformation wands. "Ready everyone?"

Yelling in unison. "Ready!"

Usagi. "Moon Eternal Power!" She was now Eternal Sailor Moon

Ami. "Mercury Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Mercury

Rei. "Mars Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Mars

Makoto. "Jupiter Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Jupiter

Minako. "Venus Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Venus

Haruka. "Uranus Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Uranus

Michiru. "Neptune Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Neptune

Setsuna. "Pluto Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Pluto

A large pink bulb surround ChibiChibi and she transformed into Sailor ChibiChibi Moon.

Once they had transformed, they each gathered into a circle for a sailor teleport. Sailor Mercury was the first to start giving directions.

"Alright everyone, hold hands together like we usually do and when we start teleporting concentrate only on ChibiUsa and Hotaru. Diana, do you think you could transform into your human form so you can enter the barrier safely?"

"Okay." The crescent moon lit up on her head and before long, there stood a girl about six years old with pink-ish, gray-ish hair and a dress to match it; a tail was on her also!

Everyone nodded in agreement to prepare for the teleport. Sailor Mercury held Sailor Venus' hand, she held Sailor Moon's, she held Sailor ChibiChibi Moon's hand, she held Diana's hand, her other hand held Sailor Mars', she held Sailor Jupiter's', she held Sailor Uranus', she held Sailor Neptune's', she held Sailor Pluto's', and it ended with her holding Sailor Mercury's right hand.

They closed their eyes and held each others' hand tightly while they concentrated on the young girls. As they did this, a power illuminated over them and they each glowed their respected colors.

In unison, they all said "Sailor Teleport!" Before Luna and Artemis knew it, they were slowly going away. Then, they were simply gone.

"Please be safe." Luna whispered under her breath low enough for Artemis to hear.

"Don't worry Luna. They usually are."

"Very funny Artemis. Let's go rest until they return."

"Okay Luna."

Time was passing fast for them and Diana as they crossed time. They held each others' hand tightly because there is no telling what could happen if one of them let go and ended up in another time forever. Pluto was use to anything that dealt with time, but for some unknown reason, she felt dizzy. She seemed to be disintegrating before her own eyes. Her body soon looked transparent. No one took notice of this because they had their eyes closed concentrating on the girls. One interrupted thought into the concentration could be disastrous for them. Before they knew it, their feet were placed on solid ground. As everyone opened their eyes, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune let out a horrified gasp. Mercury was the first one to form words.

"Sailor Pluto is gone!"


	16. Chapter 16

Kita _Where am I?_

ChibiUsa "Is she waking up?"

Kita _Who is that? It sounds so familiar._

WilyKit "I think so."

Kita _WilyKit? But who is she talking to?_

"Kitara it's me, WilyKit. I know you can hear me so stop being stubborn and wake up." Kita slowly opened her eyes. Before she knew it, she was sitting up in front of WilyKit.

"I asked you not to call me by my real name unless I was about to die."

"You looked like you were to me. But then again, you did always sleep more than I did."

"Very funny WilyKit." They then gave each other a friendly hug, grateful that they were fine. Looking around the room, she saw that they were in what seemed like an enormous cage. As she took notice at the rest of her surroundings, she saw four other girls: a little girl with pink hair in two ponytails, one a with short-cut black hair, another with long green hair also in two ponytails with two triangular markings in the middle of her forehead, and the last one had sea-green color hair pulled back into one single ponytail; she also had a single triangular marking in the middle of her forehead.

"I assume that you have already introduced yourself to the others. Right Kit?"

"I took the liberty of getting acquainted with everyone while you were snoozing."

As they were talking, the pink-haired girl went and kneeled beside where Kita was sitting. "I am so glad that you are awake. You really had all of us worried for a while Kita. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm okay." Kita couldn't help but stare at the people around her. They were really the girls from her dreams. Reality started coming back to her when she realized she had been staring at the girl the whole while. "Sorry for staring at you like that. Everything is just so...

...weird."

"Exactly."

"It's okay. By the way, I'm ChibiUsa."

Shaking her hand, "Nice to meet you ChibiUsa."

"Nice to meet you too. This is my best friend Hotaru." Leaning close to whisper to Kita. "She is a little shy around new people." She looked at Hotaru and noticed that she was starting to blush. It was obvious she was embarrassed because everyone started looking at her. She nodded her head at ChibiUsa then extended her hand to Hotaru.

"It's nice to meet you Hotaru." She was reluctant at first, but she realized Kita was friendly and shook her hand. In a soft voice, she greeted Kita.

"Hello. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks." Her attention then went to the other girls standing in front of her. "Hey."

Sasami was the first to greet her. Bowing her head, "My name is Sasami Masaki Jurai. How are you Kita? " While staying in a different part of 3rd Earth, Kita had learned that some cultures bowed instead of shaking hands. To her, it means the same greeting but in a different way. Earlier, she noticed that both ChibiUsa and Hotaru had slightly bowed before shaking her hand. In fact, they shook her hand after she extended it to them. She assumed that they somehow shared a common culture. She took the liberty of showing them the same respect that they had so kindly showed her.

Bowing her head in the same manner, "I am fine now. Thank you Sasami."

Sasami was filled with joy when she saw Kita bow. She didn't know if she would offend her with her traditions but she was relieved when Kita complied. The last to introduce themselves was Ayelei. She calmly walked up to Kita and displayed the same greeting Sasami had just did. She bowed her head and introduced herself to Kita.

"Hello Kita. I am Ayelei Hakubi Jurai."

"Nice to meet you."

WilyKit had noticed the similarities in their names and asked the most obvious question. "Hey, by chance are you two related?"

Ayelei raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that you both said 'Jurai' at the end of your names. We Thunderians aren't too familiar with last names because the majority of us went by either our clan names or our title." For the first time noticing Ayelei's concerned look. "Oh. I'm sorry if I offended you with..."

Sasami quickly cut her off. "No, no, no, no! You're fine. She is just being cautious because we still don't know where we are." Looking at Ayelei, "It's okay if we tell them about our titles...

Whispering, "...but we don't have to go into detail with it if you don't want to."

*sigh* Rubbing the back of her head, "Okay Sasami. Would you like to go first?"

"Sure. Alright everyone! As you already know, my name is Sasami Masaki Jurai. The name 'Masaki' is a family name from different houses of hierarchy. Our last names come from our planet we live on and rule: Jurai. My father is the King of Jurai. He has two wives: 1st Queen Funaho, and 2nd Queen Misaki. Queen Misaki is my mother as well as my older sister Ayeka. Being the children of royalty, we also inherited titles. Since Ayeka is older than me, her title is Princess Ayeka, 1st Princess of Jurai. Mine is Princess Sasami, 2nd Princess of Jurai."

When Sasami finished, everyone was excited to hear what Ayelei had to say. WilyKit and Kita were more interested because it's not everyday they meet a princess. Two in this case.

"Like I said earlier, my name is Ayelei Hakubi Jurai. I didn't inherit the family name Masaki because I already had a family name. You see, my original name was Ayelei Hakubi." She thought carefully about the words she would choose next. "One day my mom and sister were...kidnapped and I had to leave my home. Before I knew it, I had ended up on planet Jurai. The royal family was kind enough to take me in, not knowing if I was an enemy or not.

After a while, they became my foster family and I became apart of their family. One day, the King and Queens asked me to come into the throne room. They were wondering how I would fell being part of their family, permanently. We all agreed on it and Queen Funaho became my 'mother' and I was her 'daughter'; though I call her Auntie Funaho. Being the adopted daughter of the 1st Queen of Jurai, I was given the title Princess Ayelei, 3rd Princess of Jurai. So to answer your question WilyKit..."

"You can call me Kit if you like."

"Okay. So to answer your question Kit, Sasami and I are sisters." She felt as if she needed to tell her all of the story but left all of the details out because she wasn't 100% convinced that they were allies (this is the Ryoko part of her).

WilyKit was still being the curious person she was. "Did you ever find out what happened to your biological family?" Ayelei had briefly looked away as if she was trying to find the right words to describe her relationship between the Hakubi family and the Jurian family she held to deeply to her. If anyone knew when WilyKit was starting to pry, it was Kita. She gently elbowed WilyKit in the side to warn her not to ask so many questions.

"Yes I did find out what happened to them. According to them, they were trapped for...a long time and before we knew it, everyone was living on Earth. My mother's name is Washu and my sister's name is Ryoko. Ryoko and Ayeka fight like they were born enemies. It makes you think who are the children sometimes." For the first time, she noticed that she was relaxing. On instinct, Ayelei put her guard back up in case something jumped off. Flipping the attention to WilyKit and Kitara, "So, do you two have siblings or some form of a family?"

"The Thundercats are our family. On our planet, Thundera, Thundercats were like a form of royalty. We kept the planet safe as well as our Lord. Our current Lord and Leader is Lion-O." She leaned over to Ayelei and whispered, "I'll tell you about him later."

Ayelei sealed the agreement with a wink of her eye. Kita knew what Kit was referring to and cleared her throat to get her back on track with her original story.

Continuing, "You could consider our Lord a King I guess. Other than them, I have a brother...a twin brother at that. His name is WilyKat but we call him Kat."

"I have an older sister too. Her name is Cheetara. Technically, I was adopted but I've stayed with her all of my life and we have had a few blood transfusions with each other, so we consider each other blood sisters."

Kita felt as if they were excluding ChibiUsa and Hotaru from the conversation so she decided to add them to the mix. "How about you two? What is your life like?"

ChibiUsa and Hotaru chuckled. They couldn't wait to confuse everyone with their life. ChibiUsa decided to start.

"I am eleven years old...in the 30th century from our present time."

Everyone, except Hotaru, was now confused if they weren't already. "Huh?"

"I was born in the 30th century. I came from the future to get help from my friends in the past. Do you follow me so far?" Everyone nods. "While in the past, I stayed with a girl named Usagi. She has a boyfriend named Mamoru. It just so happens that they are my future parents, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. So I am also a princess: Princess Small Lady Moon.

Anyway, while on Earth, many evil people are trying to take over the Earth. This is where my "mom" and other friends come in. They transform into what are called Sailor Senshi. Usagi transforms into their leader Sailor Moon. Each senshi were formally princesses of their given planet. They are...what you say 'reincarnated' into the future. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus were the first ones to appear. We consider them the inner sailors. Each one has a certain element that pertains to them. I can transform too. I turn into Sailor ChibiMoon. Also, there is a little girl that kinda stays with Usagi. They call her ChibiChibi. She looks just like Usagi. Anyway, I kinda think of her as a little sister."

Kita was digesting everything the girl was throwing out at her. "I'm no specialist on the planets and moons around Earth, but I thought there were nine planets in this solar system?"

"There are. I'll let Hotaru tell you about the other planets."

Once again, all eyes were on Hotaru. "Well, I am twelve years old; this is my normal age. I can transform into Sailor Saturn. I am part of the outer sailor senshi with Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. We hold a bit more power because our job was to protect the entire solar system while the inners took on the task of protecting Princess Serenity, or should I say Neo-Queen Serenity and Princess Small Lady."

Being the curious person she was, WilyKit wanted to keep asking her questions. "So you don't have any siblings then? Ouch!" Kita had elbowed her in the side harder this time to let her know not to overstep her boundaries.

Hotaru carried a hurt look on her face as she turned to look at the floor beneath her. "No. I was an only child. The outers have cared for me every since I was a small baby. My biological mother died when I was really young." She then fell silent then. ChibiUsa was beside her in case she needed to be provided comfort.

"I am an only child too but I have Hotaru around me. She's my best friend and I wouldn't have it any other way." Hotaru smiled warmly at her pink-haired friend.

"Oh, how sweet, mwaa ha ha! Protective are you?" Everyone stood at once. WilyKit, Kita, Hotaru, and Ayelei took on a ready stance. All of the girls were rattled because they didn't know where the voice was coming from. What was worse, they couldn't see the person either. WilyKit knew automatically whom the eerie voice belonged to.

"What do you want with us you big pile of wrapping paper?"

"Silence Thundercat! You and the rest of your party will find out soon enough what I have planned for you. Just make yourselves comfortable; you'll be here for a while. Mwaaa ha ha ha!!!!"

Out of rage and fury, WilyKit ran to the side of the cage in hopes of breaking the locks. As soon as she came into contact with the bars, she fell backwards and was trying hard to keep consciousness. Mumm-ra merely laughed at the child's efforts and vanished into thin air leaving them alone once more. Kita saw this and started for her side but WilyKit stopped her.

"No Kita! Don't come any closer! Stay in the middle of the cage with everyone else! It's safer there for you!"

"But you..." Ayelei put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go get her for you." Before Kita could say anything, Ayelei had disappeared and reappeared beside Kit. Then, just as quickly as she left, she was back in her original spot with WilyKit's right arm around her shoulder.

Kit shook her head a few times so she could recover from her weak state a few moments ago. "Thank you Ayelei."

"Don't think anything of it...Kit. If we are going to be here for a while, we had better look out for each other. Say, what happened to you anyway?"

"Thundranium."

ChibiUsa and Hotaru cocked their heads to the side at the mention of the strange word. Along with them, Sasami and Ayelei said the only thing they could think of saying (in the form of a question anyway).

"Thundranium?"

Kita sat down Indian-style before she answered their question. "Thundranium is our one weakness; physically anyway. It is hard to describe. Imagine a rock that makes you so sleepy you feel sick to your stomach. If it is applied to us for a long amount of time, it would kill us."

For the first time, Hotaru asked a question. "Um...Who was the...that..._**thing**_?"

WilyKit was able to answer her question. Before answering Hotaru, she took a place beside Kita. "That was 'Mumm-ra, the Ever Living Mummy' in his bandage form."

"He's a mummy?"

"Yes. Over a few hundreds of thousands of years old and counting I'd guess."

Kita was good at tracking and remembering locations, but this had her completely baffled. "Do you have the foggiest idea where we are Kit?"

"Sure do. We are in the black pyramid."

"You mean the picture of the pyramid in the middle of a desert that has electricity and dark clouds forever around it?"

"That's the one."

Kita had never meet Mumm-ra before, she only heard stories about him. Suddenly, it clicked. "Are you telling me that _**that**_ was _**the **_Mumm-ra?"

"True as he is a mummy."

"Why would he bring us all here?"

"I don't' know Kita."

Sasami was thinking about Ayelei while everyone was talking about Mumm-ra and the pyramid. "Do you think you could phase us out Ayelei?"

"No I can't." Thinking about the words she just used. "I mean that I have tried. The bars are made of thundranium, but just outside of the bars is a massive energy field. I'm glad I saw it before it shocked all of my good senses out of me. Anyway, when I move a lot, it makes me weak so getting you all out that way is out of the question." Looking around the massive room, "I have seen a whole lot in my 713 years but this takes the rice cake."

Hearing this, WilyKit couldn't help but ask. "How old did you say you were?"

"In Jurian years I am 713 but if it freaks you out, just go by my physical earth age 13."

"Cool! How old are you Sasami?"

"711 in Jurian years but my physical earth age is 11."

"Cool! Kat and I are 13; Kita is still 12 though, but she will be turning 13 in a little while. Hotaru you told us you were 12 right?" She nods. "So how old are you ChibiUsa? I remember you saying you are from the future moon world."

"Yes. In reality I am 11 but in the future...." She stops and giggles about how Kit will react when she tells her how old she is.

"Pllllleeeeeaaasseee teeellll me!"

"In the future I am over 900 years old."

WilyKit was wide-eyed. "Are you serious?" ChibiUsa nodded her head. "Cool!"

Kita rolled her eyes at WilyKit. "Everything is cool to you." Looking around at everyone. "Do any of you have an idea that could help us escape?"

Every girl shook their head. "Well", she crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "we'll just have to wait for someone to come rescue us then."


	17. Chapter 17

"Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!" This must have been the fourth or fifth time Lion-O tried to use the sword to show him where the girls are; but it showed him nothing but darkness. It was early in the morning and by now the young Lord was getting frustrated. All of the Thundercats, except Lynx-O and Snarfer, were in the council room. They had no idea what happened to WilyKit and Kita. Cheetara assured them that they were safe for now because her sixth sense didn't give her any bad news. That helped a little bit, but it didn't wash away the feeling they all were carrying in their hearts. The link was opened to the Tower of Omens so Lynx-O and Snarfer could guard the tower and listen to the plan...whenever they came up with one.

"Pumyra," Panthro asked, "did you happen to see if anyone was controlling the force field the girls were in?"

She shook her head. "No. The only thing that was in the room with the girls was the field. Other than that, I didn't see anyone unless they were invisible."

"Well I'm pretty sure that they didn't just evaporate into thin air."

Tygra was standing beside WilyKat and noticed that he looked just as worried as Cheetara. Of course they would. Their sisters are missing. To add to that, WilyKit isn't just a sister; she is his twin sister. They have a bond that no one can destroy. He had a feeling she was fine, but he was still bothered. Anyone could do anything to her and he was helpless to stop them. If he lost her, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. She was his only living relative, and closest friend.

The tiger elder put a comforting hand on WilyKat's right shoulder. Kat turned around to look at whose hand was on him. When Kat looked at him, Tygra gave him a smile and a nod that said 'they are going to be fine'.

WilyKat looked as if he was going to ask him something when...

"AAhh...ow!" Hearing the scream come from his mate, Bengali was quick to Pumyra's side. In a panic he asked her, "Is the baby coming already?"

After her pain subsided, she put her hand on his chest and reassured him. "No. Today is not the day. It was just pre-labor pains. It is perfectly normal for women to have false contractions while they are close to their due date."

Everyone was glad for that. The next thing they needed was a cub on it's way when people are missing. Bengali's attention then turned to Lynx-O on the screen.

"Lynx-O? Do you think it is possible for you to pick them up with your braille board?"

"Hmm...I could try." He started doing some configuring with his board when his ears shot erect. "Oh! How odd!"

"What is it Lynx-O?" Lion-O asked.

"I have picked up their frequencies, but they are faint. It's as if a cloud of evil prevents me from picking up their direct location."

Bengali and Pumyra had known the old lynx for nearly all of their childhood and so they know when something was bothering him. Pumyra got out of her seat, with the help of Bengali, and stared at the screen. "What else is bothering you Lynx-O?"

He was silent for a moment. Fearing he would give them bad news about the girls, Cheetara's heartbeat pulsed quicker. Lion-O too was worried as to why Lynx-O hesitated in answering Pumyra's question. "What is it Lynx-O?"

"I'm not sure. According to my readings, there are other life forms here on 3rd Earth. I cannot tell if they are good or evil."

"I could take the Thundertank and scout the area they were sited in if you can give me a clue as to where they where spotted." Panthro suggested. "If it is related to what happened to the girls, I'd say that it is our best bet yet."

"Let me see what I can do." Lynx-O spent a few minutes with his braille board before he gave them an answer. "By Jaga! It seems now that two groups of life forms are now here. They are each on a different path. It appears they will eventually meet up at the Warrior Maiden's Treetop Kingdom."

"Oh snarf! They don't like visitors. What will happen if they attack them?" Snarf wailed from beside Lion-O.

Snarfer carried the same worried expression his uncle was wearing. "Uncle Osbert is right." Snarf's real name was Snarf Osbert. He never liked anyone to call him by his real name, but his nephew Snarfer insisted on calling him that. Seeing the glare Snarf was giving him, he changed his approach. "I mean Uncle Snarf if right. What if those two sides start attacking each other and the warrior maidens are caught in the middle?"

Tygra stood up and put a hand up in the air to regain attention. "Let's just calm down. We are all jumping to assumptions. I agree with Panthro about checking it out, but we can't just go attacking beings because they may be from a different world. Besides that, we still don't know if all of this is related to the disappearance of the girls. What do you think Lion-O?"

The young Lord paced around the room for an answer to come to him. After a few seconds of meditating, he came to a decision. "We will go to the Treetop Kingdom to make sure the warrior maidens are safe and secure. We will not attack the other beings until they show to be of a threat to us or anyone else. Is that clear?" All nods. "Good then. The rest of us will go in the Thundertank."

Everyone had stood up and was starting to walk toward the door. Lion-O quickly made an adjustment to his roll status. "Except Snarf and Pumyra. You two will stay here and guard the Lair while Lynx-O and Snarfer guard the Tower. If by chance we run into problems, Lynx-O will use the Thunderstrike to come help us."

Snarf was quick to protest Lion-O's orders. "But Lion-O, what if you get hurt..."

"Snarf I will be fine. I have the other Thundercats around to help." This did not settle well with Snarf at all. He still treated Lion-O as if he was the same cub from Thundera. He just couldn't see his 'little boy' growing up. Pumyra, on the other hand, knew his reason for making her stay behind: her baby. She also knew that if things went bad, they would need her medical knowledge to help out. Lion-O continued with his orders.

"Panthro, Tygra, Cheetara, and I will go in the Thundertank. Bengali will operate the Thunderclaw with WilyKat to accompany him." Everyone nodded with his plan. "Alright then let's go." Raising his hand, he shouted "Thundercats....

...Ho!" Everyone yelled as they raced for their assigned positions. Before leaving his beautiful puma, Bengali gave her a quick kiss. The Thundercats of the Lair raced for the hanger to board their vehicles. Bengali and WilyKat jumped into the Thunderclaw first. They each yelled their names as they got into place; meaning that they were ready for battle.

"Bengali, HO!" He yelled as he jumped into the front seat of the 'claw. As soon as he was done with his introduction, WilyKat jumped into the passenger's seat.

"WilyKat, HO!"

They turned to see the other Thundercats jumping into the Thundertank. Panthro in the driver's seat, Lion-O in the passenger's seat, Tygra sitting behind him, and finally Cheetara sitting behind Panthro.

"Panthro, HO!"

"Lion-O, HO!"

"Tygra, HO!"

"Cheetara, HO!"

Before speeding out of the hanger, they all raised their hands and shouted, "THUNDERCATS, HOOOO!"

There was something nagging Cheetara in the back of her head the whole while they were going towards the Treetop Kingdom, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Just as she was getting into her thoughts, her sixth sense went off like time-bomb.

"AAHHH!"

Both vehicles slammed on brakes at the sound of her pain and agony. She had her head buried on her hands. "It...they're...coming!"

Tygra had his hands on her shoulders trying to bring her back to the present time. "What's wrong Cheetara? Who is coming?"

Before she had a chance to answer, a bright light flashed over the entire group. Everyone covered their eyes. When they opened them, horror and disbelief came from both group of Thundercats: Cheetara was nowhere in sight.

WilyKat was looking all around the landscape for any signs for the cheetah. "Where did she go you guys?"

"I...don't...know Kat." Was all Panthro managed to say.

Bengali tried to talk reason to everyone. "Maybe she took off running toward the warrior maidens before we...."

Tygra quickly shook his head and gave his explanation. "No Bengali she didn't. If she did, we would see the marks she left on the ground. Besides that, she would have let us know. To add to that, everything happened so fast, she couldn't have had enough time to react to the light flashing before us."

Lion-O banged his fist against the dashboard of the Thundertank. Anger built up inside of him and he felt as if he could explode at any moment. Keeping his cool, he turned to his fellow Thundercats. "We must continue to our destination. Once we get there, we will find out what happened to Cheetara and the others. I strongly believe this is all related."

With that, everyone continued on to the Treetop Kingdom.


	18. Chapter 18

Tenchi and the gang had been walking for about twenty minutes. The sun wasn't terribly hot, but it was hot enough when you are irritated, worried, scared, and tired. Tenchi remembered that when they left home, it was night time. Then soon as they stepped out of the hole, it was daytime. Earth's scenery was really nice to him: The green grass, the fresh flowers, the cool breeze, the lovely landscape, and the animals (they had seen a few deer, squirrels and what nots).

Despite as nice as it looked to him, his mind kept going back to Sasami, Ayelei, and Washu. _Where could they be?_ He thought to himself. Ryo-Oki, now in cabbit form, walked behind Tenchi. Ryoko was flying a few inches from her while Ayeka and her guardians continued pacing with everyone else. Last, Kiyone and Mihoshi were lacking behind (Mihoshi was whining about being hungry and hot).

Tenchi was about to tell everyone they could take a break when Ryo-Oki jumped in front of him and started hissing at the open area. Seeing her do this, everyone went to a ready stance.

"What is it Ryo-Oki?" Tenchi asked the cabbit. Ryoko went beside Ryo-Oki to find out what was wrong with her. Before she had a chance to find out what was bothering Ryo-Oki, five arrows shot in front of them; just mere inches away from their bodies. Ayeka immediately put them within the safety of her force field.

Just then, four women in loincloths were visible up in the trees. They were armed and had their bow and arrows pointed at them. One of the women stood in front of the other three. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that draped into her left shoulder and a flower was in the right side of her hair. She then addressed Tenchi and his party.

"I am Queen Willa of the Warrior Maidens. You intruders have trespassed on our Treetop Kingdom. Are you friend or foe?"

Kiyone and Mihoshi drew their guns and aimed them at the women; Ayeka went to a ready stance with her guardians waiting for her order to attack; and Ryo-Oki continued hissing as Ryoko prepared to zap them with her energy balls. Before the entire situation got out of control, Tenchi held his hand up to them. He quietly talked to them. "Please don't attack them. They don't know that we aren't here to fight them. Let's just try and explain this to them before this gets out of hand. Okay?"

Everyone nodded in agreement to him and put their defenses away. Seeing them do this, Queen Willa waved her hand, motioning for her maidens to lower their weapons. Tenchi bowed at her then began explaining their story.

"Please forgive us your highness. We did not mean to walk on your lands. I am Tenchi Masaki. You see, we are not from this time period. We came here in search for our missing family members: two little girls and a lady. We mean you no harm."

Queen Willa debated whether or not he was telling the truth or lying to her. When she looked at him, she saw his explanation was genuine and he was indeed telling her the truth. She looked over at her warrior maidens and nodded to them. They each grabbed a vine and proceeded down the tree until they were in front of Tenchi. Queen Willa extended her hand to Tenchi.

"I am sorry for your loss, but maybe we will be able to help you find them."

He took her outstretched hand and shook it. Ryoko watched the exchange between Tenchi and Willa with alert. The other maidens did the same to Tenchi as they let go of each other's hand.

Bowing once more to her, "Thank you Queen Willa."

"You can just call me Willa." She then looked at the rest of Tenchi's team.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he gestured his hands in the direction of each person as he introduced them, "This is Ryoko, Ryo-Oki, Princess Ayeka of Jurai, her guardians Azaka and Kamidake, and the galaxy police detectives Mihoshi and Kiyone."

Ryoko was still not too happy with the fact that they almost shot them with the arrows, but if Tenchi thought they were okay, she went along with it.

"Please come with us. We don't know anything about your family members but we know some people who may be able to help you."

With that, Queen Willa and her guards went back up into the trees and started swinging from branch to branch. Ryoko had Ryo-Oki on her shoulders as she flew behind them. Ayeka and Tenchi rode on Azaka while Kiyone and Mihoshi rode on Kamidake.

Tenchi looked back to see Mihoshi clinging to Kiyone and crying because she thought they were going to fall off of Kamidake. He then directed his attention back to the warrior maidens in front of them. "So Willa, where are you taking us?"

"We are going into the heart of the Treetop Kingdom. There, we hope we can send a message to some friends of ours. They are noble people who believe in helping others. My sister, Princess Nayda, should be able to help."

Ryoko, who had been following close to Willa, noticed that Ayeka was holding on a little too tight to "her Tenchi". She dematerialized so she would be holding onto Tenchi and Ayeka hanging on the edge trying to keep a grip on Ryoko's shoulder.

"RYOKO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Ryoko looked at Ayeka with an innocent look. "What? I'm not doing anything. I just want to ride along with Tenchi too. Is that so wrong?"

Ayeka was clearly irritated by Ryoko but her royal anterior wouldn't let her show it. Tenchi just shook his head at the two as they flew with the warrior maidens.


	19. Chapter 19

In another part 3rd Earth.

"...so you see Princess Nayda, this is why it's important that we find them."

Nayda smiled warmly at the girl known at Sailor Moon. To her, Sailor Moon looked like a determined leader that was gentle at the same time. She didn't know why, but she knew she could trust her as well as the others with her.

"Please call me Nayda. After all, you all did save me from being swallowed by that pit. I am forever grateful to you."

When the girls and Diana realized Pluto was missing, they set out to find her, not knowing where they would end up. As they continued on, they saw that Nayda had fallen from a tree and ended up in a pit that seemed to get deeper the longer she stayed in it. Mercury had tossed down a vine for her to climb up so she could escape but she had somehow managed to injure her left shoulder. Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter tried pulling her out, but the vine snapped in half. Finally, Mars thought that it would be better if Venus tried her love chain to pull her out.

Venus started climbing down the pit until she reached Nayda. She carefully draped Nayda's right arm around the back of her head. She yelled for everyone to be ready for her love chain when it came up from the pit. As golden heart-linked chains flew from her hands, Nayda watched in aw. She had never seen such power coming from young girls. They had to be at least her age if not younger.

On instinct, Uranus and Jupiter caught the chain. Along with Neptune and Mars, they started pulling the two up. Sailor Moon and Mercury watched with Sailor ChibiChibi Moon and the cat form of Diana. Once they were out of the danger of the pit, Mercury examined Nayda's arm. She told her that she had dislocated her shoulder and that it had to be put back in place. She asked Jupiter and Uranus to help her. Uranus sat behind Nayda to hold her still and Jupiter was prepared to push the ball and socket back into place soon as Mercury finished giving her the instructions. Mercury held two fingers over the spot and gave the word for them to do it. Nayda winced as she felt the two parts coming back together.

ChibiChibi Moon walked over to Nayda and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Chibi, Chibi Chi?"

Nayda looked at Sailor Moon for an explanation. She smiled at Nayda and gave her an answer. "She wants to know if you are hurt."

"...if you are hurt." ChibiChibi Moon repeated.

Nayda reached over and patted ChibiChibi Moon on the head. "I am fine. Thank you."

Happy that she was fine, ChibiChibi Moon hugged her tightly as if she knew exactly who she was. Though Nayda was still a bit puzzled over how the child reacted to strangers, the other senshi just smiled at the affectionate ChibiChibi Moon.

Mercury reached out her hand to Nayda. "She knows good people when she is around them." Nayda took her hand and stood up.

"I see where she gets it from. I am Princess Nayda of the Warrior Maidens. Thank you all for your help. I mean not to be rude but I sense you are not from this world. Who are you and where do you come from?"

Sailor Moon sighed heavy and rubbed her head. "It's a long story." She told her about how they had come to the present time period and why they were there.

Nayda thought about how remarkable their story was. So young, but to posses such a great responsibility was something else. She glanced down at the wrapped left arm- thanks to Mercury. She didn't know how to help them, but she was sure her sister could.

"I don't know much about any of this, but maybe my sister can help. She is the Queen of the Warrior Maidens- Queen Willa."

Unable to keep her gratitude under wraps, Sailor Moon hugged Nayda around her waist in appreciation for her help.

"Oh, thank you so much!"

Seeing Sailor Moon show her feelings, Sailor ChibiChibi Moon joined in by putting a lock on Nayda's right leg.

"...so much!"

Mars took the liberty of prying Sailor Moon off Nayda while Venus gently took hold of Sailor ChibiChibi Moon. Mars looked at Sailor Moon as if she had just lost her mind.

"What are you trying to do!? Cut off her circulation of air!? She is trying to help us, so don't mess it up!"

This began a new round of insults for them. Tear drops formed on everyone's heads. Uranus cleared her throat to get them back on task. Nayda cracked a grin. She could tell that although they argued, they were good friends.

"Well everyone, shall we get going to the Treetop Kingdom?" Everyone nodded in agreement. With a quick leap, Nayda was up in a tree and prepared to swing from a vine. She looked down at the others. "Will you all be able to keep up?"

Uranus and Neptune grinned at each other. Using the same motion Nayda did, they were both up in the trees. Neptune called down to the younger senshi with a smile on her face, "Well, are you coming?"

Diana put herself on Venus' shoulder as her father would. Sailor ChibiChibi Moon placed herself on Sailor Moon's back as everyone prepared to jump. As a gush of wind swept by, the senshi jumped into the tree. At first, Sailor Moon and Mars had trouble keeping their balance, but after a few adjustments, they were fine.

Nayda was shocked! The only other beings she knew of that could move that quick were the Thundercats. _Maybe they should meet each other_, Nayda thought to herself. They made if from tree to tree without major problems.

Mars was leaping from branch to branch when an odd feeling came over her. She stopped to look behind her, but there was nothing there. Neptune noticed that she was following behind everyone else.

"Mars, are you okay?"

"huh? Oh. Yeah I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Mercury called Nayda from behind Sailor Moon and Jupiter. "So Nayda, how much farther until we reach your Treetop Kingdom?"

Nayda thought for a moment as she landing perfectly on a branch. "I'd say about a few more kilometers. I didn't realize how far away I was from the safety of the kingdom. Lately, eerie images have plagued my mind at nights."

Uranus and Neptune stopped in their tracks. They wondered if she knew something about what Pluto had seen and if it gave them a clue as to what it was.

Uranus leapt beside Nayda. "What type of "images" have you been seeing?"

Nayda took a deep breath before answering the question. "I see death among my fellow Warrior Maidens. Starting from the youngest girl, up to my sister." She put her hand against her chest as if she felt it when her sister was killed.

"I tried to reach her, but some force prevented me from getting to her. I always wake before they kill me. When I do wake, I'm in a cold sweat and frightened beyond senses. I want to tell my sister, but I don't wish to worry her. She has so many responsibilities on her hands I don't want to..."

She was cut off by Jupiter's hand on her shoulder. "She is your sister, your family. If it bothers you, you should tell her. She would understand." All of the other senshi nodded in agreement.

Nayda could feel herself growing closer and closer to these newfound strangers. As a warrior maiden, it is not likely for them to just "make friends" with anyone. But none the less, they were truly good beings. "I will consider telling her about this. Thank you...my friends." She paused long enough to see everyone was fine with her calling them friend. "Let's continue on. The sun grows tired as the day carries on." With that, she once again began leading them to the Treetop Kingdom.

Sailor Moon was clearly lost by the metaphor Nayda just used. "Mercury, what did she mean by 'the sun grows tired' stuff?

"She just meant that it is getting late. She may want to help us soon because we won't be able to do much when it gets dark."

Sailor Moon still didn't quite get it, but she went along with what Mercury said. She could turn a simple answer into a long explanation. "Ookay. Let's keep moving."

Once again, everyone was focused on making it to the Treetop Kingdom. Well, everyone was focused but Mars. That same feeling from earlier came back to her. It was an uncomfortable feeling, as if someone or something was watching her. Mars turned around again to confirm whether or not someone was following her. Nothing. She mentally made a note to herself, _Come on Rei, snap out of it. It's only your imagination. There is nothing there._

The more she tried to ignore it, the stronger her instincts were reacting. As if it was warning her about danger around them. She looked in front of her to see she was farther away from the group than earlier. As she attempted to catch up with them, a headache from nowhere pounded at her. The pain was so intense; she let out a cry of pain.

"AAHH!" Everyone turned to see Mars with her back to them holding her head. Sailor Moon called to her first, "Mars what's wrong!?" The only answer she got was another excruciating cry. Everyone started to make their way back to her. For some odd reason, an invisible force field prevented them from reaching her. They had to be no more than thirty feet away from her.

Jupiter yelled at everyone to stand clear. She crossed her arm as her antenna raised up from her tiara. With determination, she called upon her attack, "_**Supreme Thunder Dragon**_!"

A dragon made up pure electricity shot from her antenna. It managed to slightly puncture it, but it was still holding. She cursed it for not breaking. Uranus stepped up to take a shot at it.

She raised her right hand in the air and formed an orange orb of energy. "_**World..."**_

"Uranus stop!!"

The ball disappeared as she whipped around to see who had called her. It was Mercury. While Jupiter was working on her attack, Mercury had pulled out her mini computer to analyze what they were dealing with.

Out of sheer frustration, Uranus yelled out at Mercury, "What are you doing? We have to find a way to help her!"

Mercury stopped typing for a brief moment to look Uranus directly in the eyes. "Some things need to be analyzed before rushing off into danger." With that said, she continued typing on her computer. Neptune put a hand on Uranus' shoulder to encourage her to be more patient with the inners.

While Mercury typed, Uranus thought back to the time they were separated from the others and had to work together. She showed Uranus that sometimes brains is as useful as brawn. Another yell came from Mars as Mercury finished.

"Okay, the way I've calculated it is that you and Neptune cannot use your attacks on the barrier."

"Why?"

"Jupiter's attack punctured it slightly, but by the two of you having more power, it would indeed break it, but it would continue to go until it hit Mars. Jupiter, Venus and I will use our powers to break it. After that, you and Neptune run to help Mars since you're faster."

Everyone nodded in agreement as the plan took its course. Sailor Moon still carried Sailor ChibiChibi Moon on her back while Diana rode on her right shoulder. Nayda took them to a safe part of land on the ground to take cover from the blast that were about to take place. Uranus and Neptune stood behind the three inners as they waited for their cue to dash to Mars' aide.

Jupiter was the first to start the round of firepower. She quickly made up her mind which attack she was going to use. _I haven't used this in months. Oh, well. Hope it still works_. She thought to herself. Creating a disc of electricity, she started her attack.

"_**Sparkling...wide..."**_

Venus stood beside Jupiter and followed her lead. She raised her right arm into the air and pointed her index finger upward. As she yelled out her attack, she pointed her finger at her target.

"_**Crescent..."**_

Finally Mercury took her stand. As she twirled around in circles for her attack, it seemed as if she was dancing with the water. Gathering up her attack, she started.

"_**Shine...Aqua..."**_

At once, the three attacks combined

"_**...pressure!"**_

_**"...beam!"**_

_**"...illusion!"**_

They hit the wall at such a great force that it dispersed at once. As soon as the wall disappeared, Uranus and Neptune made their way from branch to branch in hopes of getting to Mars on time.

Inside of Mars' head was pure torture. She saw the images the girls, Washu, Cheetara, and Setsuna had seen. She saw herself slowly being consumed by her own flames. For a moment, the pain went away and Mars started to calm down.

Neptune saw her calmness and made an attempt to reach her. "Mars don't move! Uranus and I are almost there!" The water and sky senshi picked up speed.

Mars heard her cries and turned around to see them. What she saw when she turned was not her friends, but the face of a decayed mummy! It had ruby-red eyes that were glowing and an evil aura that sent chills down the fire senshi's spine. This image shocked her so bad she lost her balance on the branch she was on and began falling to the ground.

All at once, her friends called her name. "MARS NO!!!"

"Gotcha!"

Mars still had her eyes shut tight, so when she realized she hadn't collided with the earth beneath, she figured someone had broken her fall. She opened her eyes to be staring in the eyes of a lion-like man.

"Are you okay miss?" The stranger asked.

Mars rubbed her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things again. "I guess I'm fi..."

She was cut off by Jupiter yelling at the stranger being followed by Neptune, Uranus, Venus, and Mercury. "Don't you dare hurt her! If you do I'll..."

Mars quickly held up her hand to stop her advance. "Jupiter don't! He saved me." For the first time, she noticed he was still holding her. She blushed a little before getting out of his protective arms. She bowed to him slightly. "Thank you."

He held his hand up and shook his head. "No need for thanks. I do only what I feel is right in my heart."

"He's giving that speech again."

Everyone turned to see a tiger-like man walking with three other cat-like people: a panther, a white tiger, and a strange-looking cat boy who looked to be no more than twelve years old flying on a floating board.

The lion-like man scratched him red mane. "Well, it is true."

"Lion-O?" The lion-like man turned at the sound of his name.

"Nayda? What are you doing away from the Treetop Kingdom?"

"I was out when I fell into a pit and they helped me out and..."

She sound of a high-pitched "MARS" cut the warrior maiden off in mid-sentence as the odango haired leader wrapped her arms around Sailor Mars.

"I was so worried about you! When I saw you fall...I...I thought you had... had..." She was unable to finish her sentence as more tears poured from her eyes.

Mars could only soothe her and tell her she was fine. "I'm fine. When I fell, he (gestures toward the one called Lion-O) caught me."

Uranus crossed her arms. "By the way, how exactly did you catch her? I mean, she was falling pretty fast from a high distance. How could you have caught her without either of you getting harmed?"

Lion-O shrugged his shoulders. "I jumped up and caught her half-way." Uranus still didn't buy it but was willing to go along with it. The last thing she needed was put her princess in harms' way.

Lion-O wasn't sure what type of people they were, so he started the introductions. "Sorry for being so rude. My name is Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats. These," gesturing his hands toward the others, "are some of the Thundercats: Tygra, Panthro, Bengali, and WilyKat."

The boy sparked at the mention of his name. "But you can call me Kat if you want."

Mars stepped up to start their round of introductions since he had saved her. "I am Sailor Mars. They are Sailors Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Neptune, and Uranus. This is our leader and princess, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon extended her hand to Lion-O which he took. She smiled at him with kindness before speaking to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Lion-O. Thank you so much for saving Mars." She bowed her head at him while she spoke of Mars.

Lion-O blushed slightly at the mention of his royal title. He still wasn't use to being called that. It was obvious to the others because he heard WilyKat and Tygra giggle. He glanced behind his shoulder to see Bengali covering his big smile and Panthro trying hard not to burst out laughing.

When he turned back around, he saw that the senshi were looking at him with confusion. Sailor Moon had a look of guilt on her face as if she had just insulted him and didn't mean to. Lion-O put a smile back on his face.

"You can just call me Lion-O, Princess."

The senshi reacted the same way the Thundercats did as Sailor Moon blushed a shade of red. "Um...you can just call me Sailor Moon. Deal Lion-O?"

"Deal." They shook on it.

"Deal. Deal."

He looked down by Sailor Moon's feet to see a little girl with a cat on her head. He knelt down so he could be eye-length with the girl. "And who do we have here?"

She gave him the most adorable face before stating her name. "ChibiChibi."

Sailor Moon corrected her before Lion-O had a chance to ask any questions. "This is Sailor ChibiChibi Moon."

"And I'm Diana!"

The Thundercats and Nayda were shocked to see the small kitten talk. WilyKat flew his spaceboard over to them to confirm what he has just heard. "A talking cat?"

Diana sweetly cut her eyes at him. "Look who's talking."

This caused laughter to erupt through the group. Nayda quickly asked the Thundercats a question that's been bothering her since they arrived to the scene. "So Lion-O, what brings you and the other Thundercats here? I thought I heard the Thundertank a mile away."

Panthro crossed his arms like a child who was disappointed they couldn't go outside. "Yeah, we had to leave the Thundertank and the Thunderclaw back at the Lair and walk here because they wouldn't be able to pass through the trees. We hadn't been around these ways for a while so the trees and bushes must have grown at a fast rate."

Tygra picked up on the story. "Lynx-O had picked up two types of life forces around these areas. One of them, by my guess, must have been you all. I'm not sure about the others." Tygra closed his eyes and took a hard breath before continuing on. "We wanted to see if it had anything to do with the girls' disappearance and we would have gotten here sooner but Cheetara seemed to have vanis..."

The senshi started shouting random questions.

Jupiter and Venus "What!?"

Uranus "Girls!?"

Neptune "Disappearance!?"

Mercury "What other life forms!?"

Mars "You picked up our life forms!?"

Sailor Moon gently held her right hand in the air to quiet them down. She stepped toward Tygra so she could look him directly in the eyes. "Cheetara?"

He quietly nodded his head. She closed her eyes and thought about what Setsuna had told them a while ago. Opening her eyes, she looked at his chest to see a cat insignia in the middle of his chest. Looking into his eyes once more, she asked him "Is Cheetara a cheetah-like woman with identical markings covering her eyes and has this" pointing at his chest "sign in the middle of her chest?"

A loud gasp came from the Thundercats and Nayda. This signaled to the senshi that they were talking about the same person. Tygra eagerly nodded his head at her. "Yes. This insignia is our sign, the cat signal. Have you seen Cheetara through here."

"No I have never seen her before."

"Then how do you know what she looks like?" The white tiger known as Bengali spoke for the first time.

"Because my friend explained to us what she looked like."

WilyKat cocked his head to the side and recalled what Cheetara explained to them what the other two looked like. He looked at how they were dressed and used process of elimination to decide which one was their friend. "Do you mean, Sailor Pluto?"

The loud gasp that came from the Thundercats and Nayda came from the senshi and Diana. Neptune stood beside WilyKat. "Yes. She started teleporting here with us, but when we finally got here, she disappeared."

Jupiter spoke up. "These girls of yours that are missing also, are one of them a cheetah like Cheetara with blue eyes..."

Venus picked up with Jupiter. "...and the cat sign on her right arm?"

Lion-O answered. "Kitara! Yes, she is Cheetara's little sister but...how do you know about her?"

"Two of our girls are missing also. They explained to us what each girl looked like but I don't believe they had a chance to get each others names." Venus looked at Mercury who seemed to be processing all of the information she was getting. _She's like a living computer_, Venus thought to herself.

Mercury stood in front of the groups to start her hypothesis. "Well let's just get the facts straight first. We all agree that Sailor Pluto and Cheetara disappeared around the same time. I believe that the girls are together somewhere in this time because this is where we ended up. What we have to find out is where the girls are and what happened to Pluto and Cheetara."

Tygra stepped forward to join Mercury's side. "You're right. We should all work together to find them. Our odds of finding them will be greater with number. Do you all have any ideas as how we can locate them?"

Sailor Neptune walked near Mercury and Tygra. When she got close enough to them, she produced her deep aqua mirror. "Perhaps this will help." She concentrated on the girls, but her mirror showed her nothing but darkness. She took her eyes off of her mirror to look at the people gathered around her. "I believe something is blocking my mirror; other than that I don't understand why it wouldn't show me their location."

Lion-O took the Sword of Omens out of his claw shield and brought it up to his face. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight! Show me the girls' location!"

The senshi and Diana looked in amazement as Lion-O looked through his sword with glowing yellow eyes. As the sword retracted back to its normal state, Lion-O looked at everyone once again. "The sword has shown me nothing but darkness again." He growled slightly, frustration starting to creak back into his mind.

"Again? You mean you've tried to find your girls with your sword already?" Mars asked him.

"Yes. I've tried many times but it just shows me darkness. I'm not sure what to do anymore." He sighed as he said the last remark.

WilyKat didn't like to see his friends in so much torment. Being the child he is, he perked up with a thought. "Hey you guys! Here's an idea: What about that other group out there? Maybe they have some way to help us."

Panthro rubbed his bald head before commenting on his proposal. "You may have a point there kid, but keep in mind, they may not be as willing to help as these senshi here."

Sailor Moon turned so she could talk to Panthro. "You don't think they wouldn't help do you? I mean, why wouldn't they? If all of this is related than there are two more girls out there missing plus another. They must belong to them. Surely they would help us find them."

The leaders' blue eyes were too much for the panther. He shook his hands up to try and calm her down. "Whoa, whoa. I never said they wouldn't help us. I'm just saying that not everyone in the universe is going to give you a helping hand so we should watch our backs."

"Yeah. If something evil is blocking the Sword of Omens and Neptune's mirror, we should look out for anything weird...out of the ordinary anyway." Bengali added on to Panthro's statement.

They way Bengali said "we" nearly brought Sailor Moon to tears. "You mean...you'll help us find them?"

Lion-O stretched his hand to Sailor Moon. "All that we ask in return is your friendship."

Sailor Moon started to shake his hand but pulled back. She wanted consent from everyone in her group before making the decision. At first, her eyes went down to Sailor ChibiChibi and Diana: Young, and innocent at the same time. They smiled at her and nodded in approval. She looked up to face her fellow senshi; her friends.

Jupiter: So strong, yet so full of heartache and loyalty. She nodded in approval.

Venus: So cheerful, yet so full wisdom and experience. She nodded in approval.

Mars: So strict, yet so full of worry and love. She nodded in approval.

Mercury: So smart, yet so full of intelligence and friendship. She nodded in approval.

Neptune: So elegant, yet so full of will power and determination. She nodded in approval.

Finally Uranus. She had her eyes closed and was obviously thinking about her answer. She was harsh, yet at the same time, tenderness and force. She didn't like new people with power or that looked as if they would pose threat to her princess.

At last, she opened her eyes. The first person she laid eyes on was Neptune. She knew Neptune had already chosen her answer. She always believed in her instincts because they never told them wrong. Her gazed then fixed on Sailor Moon. She cut her a grin and nodded her head in approval.

After getting what she wanted, Sailor Moon turned back to Lion-O. She smiled and him and he returned the smile with the shaking of each others hands. Nayda let a few more moments pass before continuing on with their initial destination. "Shall we continue on to the Treetop Kingdom?" Everyone agreed and started walking behind Nayda. "Perhaps we should stay on the ground to keep a steady pace with everyone." Uranus and Jupiter looked a bit disappointed, but all the male Thundercats- except WilyKat- seemed fine with the idea of walking.

As they walked on, the senshi and Thundercats made idle talk with each other. The Thundercats told the senshi their titles, jobs, talents, and eventually, about the destruction of Thundera. Sailor Moon tried her best not to cry when they told them the sad story, but the tears seemed to keep going. Even the Thundercats were teary-eyed when they heard about each senshi's destiny and battles. They couldn't believe that such young women had been through so much.

After the sad tales were told, each group found out many other things about each other. Uranus and Panthro found out they liked fast things; Bengali and Mars seem to have a slight temper alike; Lion-O told Jupiter and Venus about Snarf, Snarfer, and Lynx-O; Neptune and Mercury listened to Tygra talk about various topics concerning 3rd Earth. Even Sailor Moon seemed to enjoy talking with WilyKat about his adventures with his sister and friends.

After a few minutes of walking, Sailor Moon seemed to fatigue from carrying ChibiChibi Moon and Diana. "Are you okay Sailor Moon?" She looked around to see who had called her, and got her answer when she looked over her head at a boy flying on a board.

"Yeah WilyKat, I'm fine. I just don't won't them to walk because ChibiChibi Moon has a weird tendency to walk off and Diana will follow behind her." WilyKat swooped down in front of her to stop her in her tracks.

"Well, if you're tired, you can ride on my board with me or I can carry them for you?" Before she could answer him, ChibiChibi Moon was bouncing up and down with anticipation to ride on the board. "Well, I guess that answers your question Kat." She placed her in a sitting position in front of Kat while Diana was still perched in her head. "Thanks Kat."

WilyKat didn't mean to, but he blushed at Sailor Moon's kind words. He was a growing teenager and didn't have much contact with other females his age besides his fellow Thundercats and young warrior maidens on occasions. Panthro cast his eyes to the ground and shook his head while muttering, "Kid is growing up on me."

Uranus heard his comment and thought about Hotaru. "I know what you mean. One of the girls missing has been staying with us for a while now and seems to have grown from a baby to twelve in the past year."

Panthro made brief eye contact with her before replying with a, "Yeah. Bengali here is the only one that seems to be having any luck with having children", glancing at Tygra, "for now anyway."

Tygra glanced back at Panthro for a split second but didn't say anything. Uranus noticed the exchange but also didn't say anything. Now wasn't the time for her to pry into other people's lives. Turning her attention to Bengali, "So you have a lot of kids running around of your own?"

Bengali nearly choked a shocked response out. "Huh? N..no! I...I...mean...maybe just one...but you see..."

All of the other Thundercats were trying their best not to laugh at the white tiger, but they were failing miserably at it. Bengali took a deep breath and regained his composure. "What I mean is that I have a cub on the way. It is due any day now."

Neptune had slowed down to walk beside Uranus so she heard the entire conversation. "Congratulations Bengali. So where is the lucky mom?"

"Pumyra is back at Cat's Lair guarding it with Snarf." He took a moment to notice Nayda's arm was wrapped. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was her handy work on Nayda's arm."

"Jupiter, Uranus, and Mercury helped put my arm back in place. It feels a deal better now although I know my sister will apply an ointment to make sure it heals correctly." Nayda made a disgusted face as if saying that the stuff reeked like hell.

"Well, Uranus held her steady while I put it back in place. Mercury is the one who actually showed us how to do it. I don't know beans about that medical stuff except putting a band aid on a cut." After Jupiter finished talking, the Thundercats stared at Mercury with awe. She blushed at the attention she was getting. Uranus wanted to try her luck at seeing how red she can make Mercury go.

"Yeah. She will probably end up being the youngest children's doctors our time has ever heard about." She saw that she had succeeded when Mercury turned beet red. Neptune pinched her slightly on the waist. Not enough to hurt her but enough so she could feel it. She leaned over to whisper to her. "What was that for?"

"You know why. Stop doing that or I will get rough with you."

"Oh...There is only one time I wish to see you rough like that." Neptune giggled a bit before walking over to Mercury to give her apologies for Uranus. Panthro remained silent although he was the only one who heard their ordeal. A thought came to him but kept it to himself until he felt it was the right time for him to ask them. For the time being, they just enjoyed the walk to the Treetop Kingdom.


	20. Chapter 20

"Oh...my head." Washu was really getting tired of the headache that came with traveling through worlds. As she lifted her head, she felt that her hands were shackled to a stone wall behind her. To her left, in the same predicament, was Sailor Pluto; over to her right, Cheetara was out like a light. Trying to focus her eyes around her surroundings, Washu saw it seemed as if they were in some sort of prison that someone- or something- lived in. It smelled awful, was dirty, dark, and cold.

_If it were hot in here, I'd say this was hell._ Washu thought to herself. She wiggled under her chains to see if she can get them loose. Her attempts, however, failed. She rattled her chains a few more times that made the figure to her left stir.

"Wha...?" Pluto shook her head a few more times to try and overcome the dizziness that plagued her. Her scarlet eyes fell upon the same thing Washu had seen. Though it was pretty dark where they were, she could at least make out that Washu was awake. "Hello Little Washu. Are you alright?"

"I will be as soon as we figure out what's going on. I hope Cheetara is okay. She hasn't moved much since I've seen her."

Pluto tried to move toward the cheetah but found out she couldn't go that far because of the metal around her wrist. "Cheetara? Cheetara?"

As Pluto attempted to call her, Washu nudged Cheetara's side with her knee. While doing this a few times, she started call her also. "Cheetara. Cheetara? Please wake up."

Hearing their pleas, Cheetara slowly opened her eyes. To them, she seemed more weakened than they did. This was evident when Cheetara kept dropping her head while trying to sit up. After a while of struggling with her strength, Cheetara spoke. "Hey you guys. Welcome to 3rd Earth."

Pluto's eyes went wide at the mention of the planet. "3rd Earth?"

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, the era of Earth you and Washu lived in was during 1st Earth."

Washu had a feeling that Earth had been through many changes during the future years, but she never imagined a transition such as this on Earth's part. "Well Cheetara, how do you know we are still on 3rd Earth? It could be possible we went to 2nd Earth couldn't it?"

The Thundercat shook her head at Washu. "No I'm sure. The shackles you two have on are regular metal, but mine is made out of Thundranium. It is a weakness to my people and can even kill us." She stopped talking for a few moments to catch her breath before continuing on with her story. "Besides, we are in the black pyramid."

"Mwaah haa haa! Correct as usual Thundercat!" The booming voice of Mumm-ra echoed throughout the pyramid. "I hope you are comfortable with your...seating arrangements. You all will have first row seats for the show!

"You! I should have known you had something to do with this Mumm-ra! Where are the girls? What have you done with them?"

"So you want to see your brats do you? There! Take a long look, it will be the last time you see them again! Mwaha ha ha!"

A light illuminated and a cage lit up. Each child lay in their individual spots not moving. From them, a white aura escaped their bodies and fled into a vase. As if they could sense the women, each girl sat up one by one. Tears of joy and fear were shed in that brief moment.

_Mom? Is that really you there?_ Ayelei asked through her link with Washu.

_Yes dear. It's really me. We're going to get you all out of here soon. I promise._

Not wanting to waste time, Kita also linked WilyKit and Cheetara together. _He put you in Thundranuim chains also? Are you okay Cheetara?_

Cheetara_ I will be. What about you and WilyKit?_

WilyKit_ He's draining all of us of our energy! We don't know why he's doing this._

Kita_ I overheard him say earlier that you three were going to cause his plan to fail so he had to capture you all. From what I understand, he's trying to bring back two..._

"AAHHH!!!"

Washu and Cheetara flinched when they saw Mumm-ra zapping Ayelei, WilyKit, and Kita with an energy blast.

"Now, now. None of that. I can't have you all talking without me hearing now, can we? Mwahh ha ha ha!" The girls were hurt, but they were still breathing. After what seemed like an eternity to Washu and Cheetara, the girls slowly sat up. "Now, to see about your friends."

Mumm-ra looked into his cauldron and saw that the Senshi and Thundercats had joined forces and were looking for Tenchi and his group. "Well now, it seems as if the senshi and Thundercats have formed an ally with each other. Let's just see what I can do about the others. Mwahh ha ha ha!"

Going over toward the Ancient Spirits of Evil, he raised his hands and shouted out to his masters, "Ancient Spirits of Evil, transform this decaying mummy to Mumm-ra, the Ever-Living!" After a few lightening bolts and energy waves flying, where there once stood a mummy, stood an ever-living creature of evil. "Don't worry. This distraction should give me just enough time to finish with you all! Mwaha ha ha!" With that, he disappeared from the pyramid.

Sensing that it was alright, Pluto called to the girls again. "Hotaru, why don't you and ChibiUsa transform?"

"Because we are too weak to. Even when we first woke up, our strength had been drained an enormous amount." ChibiUsa slowly nodded her head with Hotaru's explanation.

Washu looked up to the ceiling of the pyramid and thought aloud. "I hope the others will be safe." Ayelei, who was relying on support by Sasami, had that same dreamy look about her. They had no idea what Mumm-ra was capable of.

Cheetara moved up a little bit so she could be seated a little more comfortable. She thought for a moment then let out a slight smile. "I wouldn't worry too much about them. Surely the other Thundercats would work with them as willingly as they did the senshi. Besides, the Sword of Omens will not attack or harm those that are good."

"Yes Cheetara is right." Pluto started. "Our leader has a pure heart and would not attack unless she was forced to do so. She is truly a princess."

Washu looked from Cheetara, to Pluto, to the ceiling again, finally resting her eyes on the captured girls in front of her. "I hope you all are right." She was about to continue worrying when something occurred to her. "Wait a second! He obviously needs the girls for some ritual, right?" Everyone nods. "Then why would he need the three of us? No offense girls, but if he has the girls to do, whatever it is he's doing, then why did he bring us here? I doubt he wanted us to be the first ones to witness his ultimate plan."

"Because he needs our energy to bring them back to this world." The three women looked at Kita who had started talking.

"Are you sure you want to explain this Kita?" Cheetara asked her sister.

"Yes, I'm sure. I may not get a chance to when the mummy gets back. Well, anyway, we had just gotten to know each other when...

A few hours ago

...and that's how I became a Thundercat!" Kita had just finished telling how she became a Thundercat to everyone. So far, the girls had just finished giving each other a more in-depth bio of themselves. It was mostly to pass the time. It seemed to be peaceful, that is until Mumm-ra emerged from his rest.

"The time has come my dears. You all should be proud to usher in a new force of evil ha ha ha!"

Each girl looked at him with deadly eyes. WilyKit was the first to speak, "We will never help you Mumm-ra!"

"That's right," Ayelei joined in, "Good will always triumph over evil!"

Even the shy Hotaru beamed in with ChibiUsa, "You will be defeated!"

As Hotaru and ChibiUsa reached for their transformation devices, Mumm-ra's eyes glowed an eerie ruby-red. "Silence brats!" He stretched both hands towards the girls and sent a shock to all of them. With all of them laid out and gasping for breath, Mumm-ra continued with his plans. Since the girls were knocked out, he went over to his masters to confirm his plan.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil, I have the children and are draining them of their energy. What shall you have me do now?"

Together, all four statues talked in unison, "Mumm-ra, there is a problem you need to take care of first!"

"What do you mean oh Ancient Ones?"

"Ti'ria and Ti'shina will be brought back in due time, but there is a force that may prevent them from coming if successful! The children are the key to bringing them back, but those three are messengers for that source of goodness!"

Mumm-ra looked into his cauldron and saw who _those_ three were: Cheetara, Washu, and Pluto. The Spirits continued talking to him.

"You must capture them all...NOW! Do it now or your plans will be for nothing!"

"I shall and will Ancients Ones." He said while bowing his head to his masters. "What about those children?"

"Go and take care of this problem first, when there is enough energy in the vase, you will continue bringing them back!"

"As you wish Oh Ancients Ones."

Kita had tried her hardest to stay conscious during Mumm-ra's talk with his masters. She got what she needed to know, so she joined the others in a sleep-like trance. She knew once they "woke up" things were only going to get worse.

Present

The blood of the women boiled after hearing what Mumm-ra had done to the children. They held their feelings at bay while Kita continued talking.

"One thing is for sure: That same force of goodness that disappeared when the evil did is obviously trying to reach out to you three. Other than that, I don't see why Mumm-ra would even waste his energy capturing you."

ChibiUsa was sitting next to Hotaru as Kita explained the ordeal between Mumm-ra and his masters. Those two evil beings sounded so familiar to them for some reason, but they couldn't pinpoint it. That was when it hit ChibiUsa...

_**"..and till this day, they wait in an alternate dimension. If they were to ever break free, the goodness will come back to once again trap them in their eternal prison, never to darken its' side of evil on the world again. The End."**_

_**"Wow Pu, that was a good story!" ChibiUsa beamed after the story was over. **_

_**"Yeah! Setsuna-mama, where did you hear such a great story?" Hotaru asked.**_

_**"Well I heard it from...hmm...actually I don't remember."**_

_**"What do you mean you don't remember?" ChibiUsa asked.**_

_**"Yeah, we would more than likely remember where we heard a story like that from. It should be published in a book or something."**_

_**"Honestly girls, I don't recall where I heard it. Sometimes, when a story is wonderful enough, when it is told from the heart, it sounds as if it were passed down from generations. That is where a good story comes from: a good heart."**_

"Pluto? Do you remember a few weeks ago when you told Hotaru and I that story of evil that was banished when a mysterious source of good appeared and made it disappear..."

Hotaru picked up, "...and when the evil disappeared, the goodness did too. And that the goodness will come back to trap them again?"

Pluto thought for a moment before answering them. "Yes I do. But I'm not certain if these are the same evil people from the story or not."

"Um...Excuse me. Ms. Pluto?" Pluto looked to see Sasami looking at her with slightly blushed cheeks. She was still helping Ayelei sit up, but her eyes were fixed on the time senshi. Pluto nodded to let her know she had her attention.

"Well...um...when I was really small, I remember by brother Yosho telling Ayelei and I a story like that. Did someone tell you a story like that at one point?"

*sigh* "Well, that is what I'm not very sure of. You see, being a time senshi, I have traveled to many times and heard many stories. There is no telling where I heard the story of them from."

WilyKit had been listening the whole time. At first, she felt a bit confused, but now she believed she got it together. "Well, if that is the same story...and it's real... then it is very possible that the voice-figure-lady-thing...I mean...it's not just a coincidence...but it could be right?"

Everyone looked at WilyKit with confusion. Kita scratched the back on her head with one hand and used the other to hold WilyKit's hand.

"Okay Kit. It's obvious you're nervous because you don't talk in complete sentences when you are. Take a deep breath and please translate what you just said a few seconds ago."

Taking a deep breath, "Sorry. What I meant is that the lady that talked to them while they where pulled out of their own world could be the same person as the source of goodness in the story."

Washu shook her head. "I believe that is possible. I don't see why else he would feel threatened by…" She broke because Cheetara was fighting as if she were trying to stay conscious.

"Cheetara? Will you be alright?" Washu asked the cheetah.

"I believe I will. The Thundranium starts to take its effect after a while. Kita? Are you and Kit doing okay with it?"

"I'm fine. How about you Kit?"

"I'm okay."

Although they both put on brave faces, Cheetara knew that they were feeling it. She closed her eyes and prayed to Jaga that the others will find them and get them out…before it's too late.


	21. Chapter 21

Mumm-ra flew invisibly through 3rd Earth until he reached his goal: the warrior maiden's Treetop Kingdom. He perched himself on a tree branch as he saw Queen Willa, her scouts, and Tenchi with his group. _This will indeed be excellent_. Mumm-ra thought to himself. As he turned around, he could see in a clearing that the Thundercats and Sailor Senshi were coming close. He directed his attention to Tenchi and the warrior maidens in front of him as he put his plan into action.

_Oh, no. Not again!_ Mars thought to herself. She had not had any more unusual feelings since her incident in the trees. Now that she was with her friends and nearly to the heart of the Treetop Kingdom, something didn't feel right to her.

"Mars? You okay?" Sailor Moon had been calling her names a few times, trying to get her attention so she could listen to her. After she failed to answer to her name, she gently put her hand on Mars' shoulder and gave her soft shakes while she called her name.

Snapping back to reality, "Yeah…I'm fine."

"What's wrong? You've been kinda outta it since we started climbing in the trees."

Uranus asked her a question next. "Now that you mention it, do you mind telling us how you fell out of the tree earlier? When Neptune called you, your feet were clearly firm on the tree; and when you turned around, you looked as if we were some type of monsters after you."

Mars looked down for a brief moment. She didn't mean for her teammates to worry about her, and Uranus made it clear that they were indeed scared for her.

*sigh* "Well, it's kind of hard to describe. You see, when we first got here, I didn't get any evil readings in the area, so I assumed everything was fine. Anyway, we were on our way with Nayda when this eerie feeling kept creeping up on me. It was as if someone was watching me, but each time I turned around, nothing was there." She paused for a moment to collect herself.

"The more I ignored it, the stronger waves of energy I continued feeling, which resulted in a major headache. I got visions of…evil things: screaming, yelling, torture, and even me being burned by my own flames. When everything seemed to clear up, I heard Neptune call my name. When I turned around, there standing in front of me was a mum…"

"LOOK OUT!!!" Jupiter yelled.

Mars knocked Sailor Moon to the ground while an orange ball of energy hurled at them. When the fire dispersed, she looked frantically around for Sailor ChibiChibi Moon and Diana. For a moment, she had forgotten that they were with WilyKat until she saw them high in the air. When he heard Jupiter yell, he saw the ball coming and made a run for it then. Never had she been happier to see a kid on her life.

"What the hell was that?" Panthro yelled, not directing his question at anyone in particular.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Jupiter grunted as she picked herself off the ground.

While everyone was looking around for an explanation, Nayda thought she heard commotion in the distance. She jumped into a nearby tree to see what she could. "There is a battle going on! I think my sister may need our help!"

Lion-O unsheathed his sword and held it in his hands. "Thundercats! Let's move!" He looked over to Sailor Moon to see if she too would fight. Once their eyes met, she made a silent nod to him before turning to her own group.

"Alright girls! Let's go!"

Everyone raced to the battlefield. Soon as they reached their destination point, the first thing their eyes fell on was a woman…no a young girl maybe? She had on what looked like a purple and black body suit. Her eyes were blazing with anger as her spiked cyan hair was ruffled by the wind. On instinct, she looked down at them and went to a ready stance.

"Are you the ones trying to kill us?!" The spiked haired woman yelled as she formed an orange orb in each of her hands.

Lion-O pointed his sword at her as Tygra, Bengali, and Panthro began taking out their weapons. "We did no such thing! What business do you have here?"

"Wouldn't you want to know! How do I know you didn't just try to kill me?"

"Trust me, if we did, you'd be dead by now!" The woman levitated closer to the ground to get a closer look at her insulter. What she saw obviously did not impress her. In fact, she felt as if she had nothing to worry about. The woman she saw had short blonde hair with crescent moon earrings. White gloves stretched up to her elbows as her boots went a couple of inches above her ankles. The most absurd thing that made her want to laugh in her face was the skirt she had on.

"Don't waste my time! Look, either get out of my way or start answering some questions!"

"Are you ordering me around?" The blonde haired woman asked in anger as she tightened her fist.

"What do you think?"

The blonde was losing her patience with this person and was about to retort back when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned around to be faced with Bengali.

"Don't waste your breath on her Uranus. She isn't even worth your insults."

Ryoko was also out of patience with them. "So, are we gonna do this or not?" She asked as she once again formed the orbs in her hands.

"Ryoko don't! We're not here for that!" Ryoko was never one for dismissing Tenchi. No matter how lame or weak his requests were.

"Sorry Tenchi, but if memory serves me right, didn't someone just try to kill us then?"

"Well, what made you think it was us?" Jupiter asked as she too was fed up. "Wasn't it your energy orbs that just tried to blast us back in the forest?"

"What…no! Why would I waste my energy shooting at random targets when I had one right in front of me!"

The argument was getting heated while Mumm-ra watched with his invisible cape on him. _Excellent. They have fallen for the trick._

He had figured that Tenchi and his group would team up with the others, so he thought he could prolong their-meeting. While he was invisible, he threw bolts of energy at Tenchi, his group, and Willa with her maidens.

Azaka and Kamidake put Ayeka and Tenchi in their protective energy shields. While they were covering the heirs to Jurai, Mihoshi and Kiyone began shooting their weapons in the direction the blasts came from while Ryoko threw plasma blasts.

Mumm-ra was pleased to see that one of Ryoko's blasts went sailing into the direction of his enemies and their new allies. The confrontation between them made Mumm-ra smile on the inside. _Excellent indeed. _He thought to himself.

His smile soon faded as he saw Queen Willa and her maidens begin to make themselves known. Of course they would convince the Thundercats that those foreign aliens were good and Nayda will convince her that the senshi were good also.

_Hmm… it seems as if I will have to work harder to keep them from reaching my pyramid before the ceremony is complete._ With a wave of his hand, his faithful dog Ma-Mutt appeared at his side.

"Ma-Mutt return to the black pyramid and watch the prisoners. These outsiders will be on their way soon and I want to make sure our prizes are guarded. I will join you soon."

With that, the mummy-dog disappeared. _Now to make this more interesting_.

"Sister!" Nayda yelled to Willa as the crossed the line of fire.

"Nayda? Where have you been? Who are these foreigners you have with the Thundercats? What has happened to your arm?"

"Sister please listen to me! These foreigners are frie…"

A streak of lightnening sent Nayda flying backwards as it hit just inches from her. The maiden princess lay on the ground motionless.

"Nayda!" Willa called to her younger sister as she tried to shake her awake. Mercury attempted to make her way to help Nayda but a guard of Warrior Maidens formed a wall in front of Willa and Nayda. Bows were ready in their hands for firing if anyone tried anything out of the ordinary.

Either way, Mercury tried to reason with them, "Please allow me to help. She is in need of emergency help."

"You will not pass outsider." One of the maidens said as she tightened her grip on her bow.

"You make lightening fall from the sky and hit us!" Another said.

Sailor Moon went and stood between Mercury and the maidens. "Please don't do this, I beg you! We just want to help. We did not attack you. Please believe me!" She pleaded with them but they still did not allow her to pass.

"Please Willa, allow me to examine her." Tygra asked as he stepped toward the line. Willa nodded her head and allowed the tiger to work. For now, the fighting stopped and all was focused on Nayda.

"She'll be fine. The blast just knocked her out, but she'll have a bad headache when she gets up." Tygra announced as he finished with Nayda.

"Are you sure?" Venus asked as she and Jupiter went and stood beside Sailor Moon and Mercury.

"Yes. Now we just have to figure out where that blast came from."

Uranus looked right at Ryoko's direction. "I have a theory," she stated as she kept her eyes fixed on Ryoko.

"Look here now, I didn't do that! Besides, if I wanted to hurt somebody it would have been you."

"Sure Ryoko didn't do something that horrible. Besides, she isn't even strong enough to make an attack as strong as that." Mihoshi said in Ryoko's defense.

"Shut up Mihoshi! I am strong, I…just didn't…do that attack."

"Besides, you all were too busy arguing, you would have noticed if one of you shot out energy like that." Tenchi stated as he also spoke in Ryoko's defense.

"Which brings us back to square one," Willa spoke as she stood in the middle of everyone, "who attack my sister?"

No one knew what to say because they obviously didn't know. All anyone could do was cast blaming eyes on another.

"Lion-O?" Willa called the young Lord. "Do you trust these outsiders?"

"Yes I do." He then gestured toward Mercury. "This is Sailor Mercury. She and her friends helped pull Nayda out of a pit and them fixed her arm."

"Thank you for helping my sister, but still does not explain what happened."

Lion-O then looked at the people that were standing by Ryoko. "Do you trust them Willa?"

"Yes. The boy is very genuine. I truly wish I could take your word and trust your new friends but coincides do not just happen behind each other Lion-O."

"You think one of them tried to harm your sister Willa?"

"I don't know what to think Lion-O."

"Sorry Willa," Panthro started, "but we just had to jump out of the way of an orange ball of energy threatening to blow our heads off. So please excuse me for not exactly taking a trust to them at first sight."

Ryoko was furious with being put the blame on. "Look you bald-headed dummy! How many times do I have to…"

"Ryoko please!" Ayeka yelled. "Now is not the time for your rude comments. The best thing for us to do is try and be peaceful before this gets any worse than what is already is."

_Yeah right! As if they actually wanted to help us anyway_. Ryoko pouted to herself.

Before any more rants could start, Mercury pulled on her earring and made her visor appear. In her hand, a mini computer appeared.

_She made that computer appear just like Washu can!_ Tenchi thought.

_Hmm…I wonder?_ Mercury was typing at a speed that rivaled Washu's typing. She walked over to the spot where the lightening had struck and pointed a finger up in the air. Slowly, she moved her arm at an angle pointing to a nearby tree branch.

"Whoever attacked Nayda was perched on that limb when they shot at her."

"How would you know? You just typed some stuff on that computer of yours!" Ryoko asked Mercury.

"Ryoko, that means that you didn't do it because you were over here." Kiyone said to Ryoko.

"She's right." Tygra said. "The angle of the shot was perfect from that angle. If anyone else did it, we all would have seen it."

Mihoshi was clearly at a loss again. "Well, if Ryoko didn't do it, and none of us did it, and none of them did it, then who shot it?"

Again, no one had an answer. Mercury had put her arm down to get rid of her visor and mini computer. Unbeknownst to them Mumm-ra was still standing on the very limb Mercury had pointed at. _It seems this one will pose as a problem for me._ Mumm-ra thought.

Tenchi was talking to Mercury about something when Mars got the eerie feeling again. _What the hell is my problem? There is clearly something wrong here so why can't I see what it is?_ She thought. The feeling kept getting stronger just like the last time. This time, she didn't waste any time.

Lion-O was about to ask Mars what was bothering her when the Eye of Thundera began to growl. The nearly everyone (except the Thundercats) jumped at the sound. As Lion-O reached for the sword, Mars called out," MERCURY GET DOWN!" she yelled to her fellow senshi as a streak of lightening fell upon her.

There was nothing but smoke and dust around where Mercury and Tenchi stood. Sailor Moon dropped down to her knees as tears were beginning to form. Slowly the smoke and dust began to clear, and what they saw were two people inside of a shield.

THEY HAD SURVIVED! The picture they saw was Tenchi covering Mercury with his body while Azaka and Kamidake put them in a protective shield. Tenchi looked down at Mercury and asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him and blushed slightly before responding, "I'm fine."

Tenchi then looked around at the guardians. "Are you two alright?"

In unison they spoke. "We are fine. Are you well Lord Tenchi?"

"I am thanks to you two." He helped Mercury to her feet and looked around at everyone. There were looks of mixed emotions around: anger, relief, jealousy, and respect. Sailor Moon quickly wrapped her arms around Mercury. The princess cried tears of joy for her friend's safety.

All of his girls surrounded Tenchi.

Ayeka: Are you okay?

Ryoko: Are you hurt?

Kiyone: How do you feel?

Mihoshi: Does your head hurt?

Ryo-Oki: Meya, Meyow?

"Girls, girls, girls, I'm fine. Azaka and Kamidake saved us."

Ayeka rested a hand on each on her guardians as a tear left her face. "Thank you both."

"You're welcome Princess."

"He risked his life to save her." Bengali whispered to Panthro. Panthro nodded and walked over to Lion-O.

"Lion-O? Maybe you should…"

"I know Panthro."

Lion-O walked until he was behind Tenchi. When Tenchi turned around, Lion-O drew his sword. Ryoko was about to blast Lion-O but Tenchi put his hand up to stop her.

"But he'll…" Ryoko started

"Do what he has to." Kiyone said from behind her.

With the Sword of Omens pointed at Tenchi's chest, Lion-O made a cry for the sword to blast him.

"HOOOO!" The sword let out a cry then the eye closed. Lion-O sheathed his sword his and looked Tenchi in the eyes. He didn't see fear nor hatred. He smiled before speaking to Tenchi.

"The Eye of Thundera does not attack good, so that means you and your company are welcomed as friends in my eyes." Lion-O extended a hand to Tenchi. Without hesitation, Tenchi shook his hand and smiled that special way he did that made Ryoko and Ayeka crazy.

Ryoko got between the two and shook her fist at Lion-O. "Hey buddy! What's the idea of you pointed your sword at my Tenchi?"

"Oh you demon, will you stop. Lord Tenchi does not belong to you." Ayeka said as she stood beside Tenchi.

"What's the matter princess? Afraid he will admit his love for me and not you?"

"Ohh why you…"

"Please girls not now!" Tenchi said as he got between the two. "You can fight later but right now we have other things to tend to."

Each crossed their arms and turned their backs to each other while mumbling their insults about the other. Lion-O was confused at the exchange so Tenchi summed it up while he scratched his head. "They have some issues they need to take care of."

"Hey Mars!" Venus called to her. Everyone stopped what they were doing to hear what she had to ask her. "Say how did you know that something was going to happen to Mercury?"

"Come to think of it" Jupiter started, "you never finished telling us what happened before that blast nearly hit us."

All eyes were on Mars. "Okay like I said. When we got here I didn't feel anything bad so I thought everything was fine. When we were on our way here with Nayda, I got an eerie feeling. When I ignored it, I got bad headaches. Next I was getting visions of evil things happening. Finally I turned around and there was a…"

Before she had a chance to finish, her headache came back stronger. Uranus and Neptune tried to keep her steady, but it wouldn't stop. WilyKat had been circling on board with Sailor ChibiChibi Moon and Diana. Ryo-Oki and phased up there also was playing with them. All of a sudden, Ryo-Oki started hissing at the air. The fur on Diana's coat also started to stand up. Sailor ChibiChibi Moon was pointing at something but Kat kept seeing nothing.

_They are really starting to become a nascence._ Mumm-ra said as they passed by him. Mars head shot up directly at him. "WILYKAT WATCH OUT FOR THE MUMMY!"

"THE MUMMY!!" The Thundercats and Warrior Maidens yelled in unison.

Mars moved so quickly, Uranus thought she was part of the wind. Without explanation, Mars jumped up and yelled,"AKURYOU TAISON!"

Tenchi looked wide-eyed when she yelled. Mentally, he thought to himself, _That phrase. [EVIL SPIRITS BE GONE!] Only those who use ofuda say that. Is she from my time? She could be a…no way that girl is a priestess…is she?_

She threw a slip of paper that hit something invisible. She must have hurt it because it yelled an awful note. Before it materialized, it shot a blast that hit the back of WilyKat's spaceboard and sent them sailing down.

Ryoko flew into the air; put WilyKat under her left arm, ChibiChibi Moon under her right arm, and placed Diana and Ryo-Oki on the top of her head. She then phased them in front of the Thundercats and senshi.

The board itself was flying out of control and was threatening to hit where Nayda was lying at. Thinking fast, Kiyone jumped on the board and steered it to a clearing where it slid on the safe ground. She carried it back to where Ryoko was with the others.

"That was cool! Can you do it again?" WilyKat asked as Ryoko let go of him.

"Maybe some other time kid." She said as he smiled up at her.

"Kat are you alright?" Tygra asked as he attempted to examine the boy.

"I'm fine. It's a good thing she could fly. Thanks miss!"

"Please! I'm not old kid. Just call me Ryoko."

Kiyone tapped WilyKat on the shoulder to get his attention from Ryoko for a while. "I think this belongs to you." She said as she handed him his board.

"Thanks a lot. Panthro would kill me if I broke my spaceboard again."

From behind Kiyone, Mihoshi was jumping up and down with energy. "I didn't know you could do that Kiyone. Could you teach me to do that sometime?" she asked her partner.

"um…we'll see about that Mihoshi."

"Are you all alright?" Sailor asked as she picked up ChibiChibi Moon and sat Diana on her shoulder.

"All right!" ChibiChibi Moon replied.

"Miss..I mean Ryoko saved us just in time!" Diana spoke as she made her way up to Sailor Moon's head.

Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Azaka and Kamidake, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all stared at Diana when she talked. Ryoko walked up to Sailor Moon so she could look Diana directly in the eye. "Say, did your kitten just speak?"

"I sure did!" Diana giggled. Ryo-Oki materialized beside Diana on Sailor Moon's head. "I found a new friend Sailor Moon."

"I hate to break this up, but we really have a huge problem." Bengali spoke in front of the group. "That thing Mars hit was Mumm-ra; and if he's involved…"

"…we are in a whole world of trouble." Panthro finished for him.

"Mumm-ra? What's that?" Venus asked.

Jupiter looked at her. "I think it's more like a "who's that?" type of question."

"You both are right." Everyone looked at Lion-O.

"That's what I've been seeing since we got here." Mars said as she looked down at her feet. "The first time I think it was a vision of him. The second time was when he was about to attack Mercury. Finally when he was about to attack those children!"

"So that would make you a psychic then?" Tygra asked.

"Well, sort of."

"Hey, that's just like Cheetara." WilyKat stated. "She has a 'sixth sense' that can look into the past, present, and future."

"Wait a minute!" Panthro yelled. "Isn't it kind of weird. The girls are having some weird dreams, Cheetara is pulled into another 'world' with two other beings, a woman's figure talks to them, the girls disappear, Cheetara disappears, and now Mumm-ra is attacking the Warrior Maidens, Thundercats, senshi, and them! This is not some huge coincidence."

"So since he's attacking everyone, does that mean he has everyone?" Ayeka asked.

Lion-O answered, "It pretty much looks that way. If not, then he definitely has something to do with this…somehow."

"hmm…interesting."

Venus looked over at Mercury. "What's so interesting Mercury?"

"Well, it's very odd. First he took the girls. We are still not sure why. What's odd to me is why he waited later to take the others. Wouldn't it have been easier to just take them all the first time?"

Panthro rubbed his bald head. "Now that you mention it, doing the same job twice in a few hours is not his style."

Mihoshi tugged on Kiyone's sleeve. "Oh, oh, I have an idea Kiyone! Please listen to me!"

*sigh* "Alright Mihoshi, humor me. Tell me why you think he took the others after he took the girls."

"I think he didn't need them at first, but then realized he did need them. He didn't expect anyone to come looking for them, so he wasn't worried about putting his defenses up. When he saw all of us, he was surprised and wanted to get rid of us." Thinking about what she just said, Mihoshi started crying out loud. "Waaaa! He's so mean! All we want is to get our friends back!"

Everyone stared at Mihoshi in shock. Uranus took note in the way she was crying. Leaning over to Neptune, she whispered, "Remind you of anyone you know?" Neptune giggled slightly at her comment and pinched her on her waist again.

"Uranus, you should stop that."

"I'll stop whenever you tell me to…which could be a long time." Neptune just shook her head and walked over to Mars. Again Panthro was the only one who heard their conversation, be he stayed quiet as he gathered information.

Kiyone was trying her best to calm Mihoshi down. Ryoko spun around and yelled directly at Mihoshi. "Shut up Mihoshi! All of that weeping is not doing us any good so just…" Ryoko stopped and looked at Mihoshi in the eye. She realized Mihoshi wasn't crying for her own safety, but for the others. She crossed her arms and looked up at the sky.

"Like I was saying Mihoshi, crying isn't doing us any good so perk up. Before you opening your mouth to cry, your ideal actually made sense."

"It makes perfect sense." Mercury stated. "He needed the girls for something…just the girls. Someone pulled the others out of their regular dimension to warn them about some evil. That's why he took them, because they know something that could foil his plan."

Every individual thought about what Cheetara, Washu, or Setsuna had told them what was warned to them:

_The children posse's great powers inside of them that will be awaken when the evil arrives. It is good because their powers will allow a pure source of good to appear, but if those who are evil get them first, all will be lost. Those images you have just witnesses is a small taste of what they evil ones will do if they are released. Only those who posses a pure soul will be able to defeat the evil ones. Head this warning friends._

Sailor Moon looked down at ChibiChibi Moon. "The warning she told them…"

"Mumm-ra is going to use the girls' powers to bring in more evil to this world! He took the others because he thinks they may know something that will put a stop to him." Bengali rationalized.

"Alrighty then. Let's to see this Mumm-ra, kick his butt, and get everyone back. Then we can finally go home."

"I'm sorry but it's not that simple Ryoko." Lion-O told her. "Mumm-ra is an ancient mummy and knows all sorts of evil. It will not be an easy task to get in."

"A…a…mummy? You mean like an old, ugly, dead body wrapped up in bandages?" Sailor Moon asked with a disgusted look on her face. Before she could even swallow her words, Ryoko was in her face, hovering a little bit above the ground.

"What's the matter? You scared of an old, ugly, dead body wrapped up in bandages?"

"I…I just…"

"You got a problem or something? If you can't handle a mummy then you should stand on the sidelines with Mihoshi over there and stop being a crybaby!"

"Alright you that's enough!" Uranus demanded.

"Don't get mad at me if she's afraid of a mummy."

"Why I ought to…" She made move for Ryoko when a voice made her stop.

"STOP IT!!"

Sailor Moon was looking down at ChibiChibi Moon as her silent tears fell. In a whisper she pleaded, "Please stop this fighting." She put ChibiChibi Moon down, place Diana on her right shoulder, and Ryo-Oki on her head, then walked until she could see everyone.

"We have been at peace for some time now. Now a new threat has pulled us back into a life of fighting. We did not make this trip here to fight with allies...we fight the enemy. All we want is our family back. I'm sure you all want the same thing. If you help us, I give my word we will return the favor. Please Ryoko." She asked while bowing her head low to Ryoko.

Ryoko didn't know how to respond to that. Sure, yelling at Mihoshi was easy because she did it on a daily basis…but something about this girl was different. Not being one for giving into emotions, Ryoko lowered herself back unto the ground and walked toward Tenchi.

"Okay, whatever. It's a deal." Her own special way of saying 'I'm sorry for yelling and we'll work with you all.' Tenchi put a hand on Ryoko's shoulder for support. He's known her for a while now and figured out many reasons for her outbursts. He could tell the mummy thing hit really hard for her, especially since she was one for 500 years.

"So then, are you all going to Mumm-ra's pyramid?" Willa asked the group. By now, Nayda was safely in the hut being nursed back to health. Everyone nodded at the Warrior Maiden Queen. "I wish you all the best of luck. Thank you for what you've all done for my sister. You are granted safe passage throughout my kingdom…as allies and friends." Willa bowed her head and with a quick flip, she was in the trees followed by her maidens.

_That was just too cool_. Venus thought to herself as she watched them exit. "So Thundercats, do you know where Mumm-ra lives?"

"Unfortunately we do." Panthro responded. "Since there are more of us traveling, it will take longer to reach there even if we run all the way without stopping."

"How long do you suppose?" Ayeka asked.

Panthro looked to Tygra. "I'd say an hour and a half…give or take."

"But we don't have that much time!" Mars shouted. "If that mummy has them all, there's no telling what he'll do to them now that he knows we're all working together!"

Neptune looked around. "She's right. Is there any other way to reach them in time besides on foot?"

WilyKat hovered beside Panthro. "Our vehicles are all the way back at the Lair. We could go back…no we couldn't even drive them this far because of the deep forest. Besides, to go back to the Lair and go to the pyramid would probably take three hours at the most.

He looked down at his spaceboard then at Lion-O. "Hey I have my spaceboard and it's pretty fast. Maybe I could-"

"NO WAY KAT!" The Thundercats yelled in unison.

"Don't think like that. He has your sister for crying out loud! If you go alone and get caught, how do you think you could help her or anyone else?" Bengali asked him.

Ryoko looked at WilyKat. "So kid, your sister is missing too, eh? Well then we have something in common." In a blink of an eye, she was in front of ChibiChibi Moon. The young girl smiled up at her with innocence that Ryoko longed to posses…one day. She took Ryo-Oki off ChibiChibi Moon's head and brushed her cheek against the fury Ryo-Oki's.

"Are you ready to help out?" Ryo-Oki jumped onto the ground and yelped her approval.

"What do you think she's doing?" Jupiter asked Mercury and Tygra. The only answer she received was them hunching their shoulders.

"Good girl…Let's Go RYO-OKI!" As quick as Ryoko, Ryo-Oki jumped into the air, did an odd spin, then just like that…transformed into a huge spaceship. The Thundercats and Senshi stood with their mouths hung down.

_I take it back…that was so totally cool!_ Venus thought again. The Thundercats were more amazed than shocked. They were use to spaceships, but never had they seen one take on a living appearance before. As if on cue, WilyKat broke the silence. "That was so totally cool!" Venus looked at him and smiled. _I think I'm going to like this kid._

A light green-bluish light came down over Tenchi and the gang. Ryoko had a huge smile on her face. "What's the matter? You all look like you've never seen a spaceship before." Before anyone had a chance to respond she said, "All aboard who's coming aboard" and disappeared from sight.

Tenchi and crew stood in the middle of the beam as they were teleported into Ryo-Oki. The Thundercats followed suit all joining together in the middle of the beam. All that was left were the Senshi. Sailor Moon looked back at her group and smiled for them. "Oh well, we've come too far to go back now right?" Everyone nodded and joined her inside the beam.

"Well took ya long enough get aboard. All you had to do was step into the light." Ryoko hissed from behind the control.

"Sorry but 'stepping to the light' is not something I look forward to doing right now." Uranus said.

Ryoko rolled her eyes at Uranus and with a small smirk muttered, "Whatever" under her breath. Turning around to the Thundercats, she asked them. "Which way to the pyramid?" Tygra told her the coordinates and she set it in Ryo-Oki. "Looks like we'll be there in about ten minutes."

Silence eroded them at they came closer and closer to the isolated lands of the pyramid. Inside their minds everyone silently prayed. _Hang on. We're almost there._


	22. Chapter 22

"Cheetara stay with me!" Washu pleaded with the cheetah-woman.

Cheetara opened her eyes and smiled at Washu. "What's the matter? You look like I was about to die."

"I'm afraid if you don't stay awake that may happen." She looked over at Pluto and noticed she hadn't taken her eyes off any of the girls. "How are they holding up?"

Still concentrating on the girls Pluto spoke to Washu. "As they said earlier, their energy is being drained. Hotaru, ChibiUsa, Sasami and Ayelei are doing okay but the other two, WilyKit and Kitara are…" She didn't finish her sentence for she didn't know what type of reaction it would have on Cheetara.

"They are what Pluto?" Cheetara asked with a weak voice.

"They are even weaker. I assume it has something to do with the thundranuim bars they are in. They…they aren't even talking as much as they were a while ago."

"The thundranium is stronger than I thought." Cheetara said as she forced herself upright once again. "Thundranium is thundranuim no matter what form it's in. These on my risk are more deadly because it is in direct contact with my flesh. The girls are better because the cage is so big and they're not touching it…" She had to stop to take big, steady breaths before continuing. "Sorry. As I was saying, they're not touching it so that means they have time until help comes."

Her face then turned mellow. She talked a little softer not because she was weak, but because she didn't want to alert any of the girls. "But they have never been exposed to this much thundranium for such a long amount of time. And they are so young…they haven't had time to become resistant to the effects like I have…they have to get out of there soon."

"How soon Cheetara?" Pluto asked.

"Between now and the next thirty minutes."

As hard as it was for Washu, she knew the question had to be asked. "And what of you? How much longer do you have?"

"The important thing is getting them out of here Washu." Cheetara said deliberately ignoring the question.

Being the self proclaimed smartest-genius- in the universe, Washu knew she was eluding the question. Looking away from her she closed her eyes. "That long huh?"

Cheetara closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly to keep her tears from coming out. Pluto was at a loss. "Cheetara what do you two mean?" She got not response. "Washu? How much time does she have left?" Washu shook her head and didn't answer. "Cheetara please tell me. How much time do you have left?"

"I have a good fifteen left…twenty if a keep conscious." Pluto felt warm tears threatening to fall. She didn't understand why though. She got her answer as a soft voice called out to Cheetara.

"No…Tara…please…don't leave me…again." Kitara was trying hard to get up, tears coming down her face the whole while.

WilyKit helped her keep her balance. "Yes Cheetara…stay strong…the others will come for us." She too was on her verge of tears.

"Please rest. Keep your strength. Of course I will stay strong…the…the Code of Thundera forbids us from giving up." With that Cheetara drifted unconscious.

"CHEETARA!" WilyKit, Kitara, Washu, and Pluto yelled her name in one cue. Kit and Kita broke for the cage bars when they were suddenly held back. Ayelei and Sasami held on to WilyKit while Hotaru and ChibiUsa kept a firm grip on Kitara.

Weak, tired, and sleepy, Ayelei used what strength she had to push WilyKit back in the middle of the cage. Hotaru and ChibiUsa gently sat Kitara back beside Kit. Each young Thundercat looked up to Ayelei staring at them. Irritation evident in her eyes. She was breathing hard as if all of her energy was about to spill out. Everyone looked at her as if she was about to collapse…everyone except Sasami and Washu that is.

_I was wondering how long before this happened. I swear she gets more and more like Ryoko each day._ Washu thought to herself. She hung her head low and gathered energy for her speech when Ayelei was done.

"Bakas! [Idiots!] What did you think you would accomplish by doing a stunt like that?! Doing something that stupid has made all of us weaker now. Didn't she tell you two to rest anyway?! You're not helping her any by acting like child…"

"That's enough Ayelei! You've made your point!" Washu finally said. _Damn! That took more energy than I thought it would_. She thought to herself. She looked over at Kitara and WilyKit trying not to bawl like babies. In her expert opinion, they were doing better than most individuals would in this situation (unlike Mihoshi)-but then again…they were only children.

Hotaru and ChibiUsa looked powerless. They couldn't transform into senshi since they were so weak. Hotaru held Kitara's right and ChibiUsa did the same with WilyKit. "She's going to be fine you know?" Hotaru asked them both. ChibiUsa smiled and said, "You just have to be strong for her and wait for the others to come."

Each one relaxed, not entirely, but just enough. Ayelei was once again sitting beside Sasami. Sasami looked at Ayelei while she was deep in thought. She leaned her head on Ayelei's shoulder like any other little sister would do. "Ayelei? What are you thinking about?"

Ayelei made a 'hump' sound then smiled a little. She then titled her head so it would rest on top Sasami's. "I'm thinking about good it's going to feel when we all get out of here."

"I wouldn't count on that brats!"

Everyone snapped to attention as Mumm-ra came into vision hovering in front of them. No longer in his mummy-bandaged form, but now an ever-living monster. Ayelei stood in front of Sasami and smirked at him. "You know, this is a much better look for you. The bandages totally clashed with your creepy complexion."

_Insults…definitely more like Ryoko everyday_. Washu again thought to herself.

Ruby eyes glowed red as he stretched his right hand out and prepared to shoot a bolt at Ayelei. She quickly picked Sasami up the shoulders and pushed her for Hotaru and ChibiUsa to catch. The blast went through Ayelei's body and she collapsed to the ground.

"AYELEI!!!" That was all she heard from Washu and Sasami before she too fell unconscious.

*************

A gasp came from her and she grabbed her chest as she dropped to one knee. She didn't know why she was feeling what she was until a pair of hands were upon her shoulders gently shaking her.

"Ryoko! Ryoko! Say something! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Tenchi…we have to hurry up! Something is not right. He…he's hurting her!" Ryoko hissed through her teeth.

Ayeka ran to her side. "Who is he hurting Ryoko?"

"Can't tell. Ayelei I think." She said as she took her spot in front of the controls again, still rubbing her chest."

"We're getting close." Uranus announced at everyone turned to her. "I sense Pluto is nearby…it's very weak though."

"Tygra? Do you think you could focus on Cheetara or any of the girls." Panthro asked him.

"Let me try." Tygra sat in one spot and concentrated.

_So he does contain some degree of mental powers._ Mars told herself.

His eyes flew open immediately and looked at his fellow Thundercats. "I'm getting a small psychic signal from the girls…but Cheetara's…"

"But Cheetara's what Tygra?" Lion-O demanded.

Bengali looked down at his fellow tiger. "You don't mean she's…"

"No! I mean, I don't think so…no just yet. Her mentalShe signal is very faint. She may be unconscious which would explain a lot. We have to hurry though, I don't think any of them have much time."

"Alright Ryo-Oki…give it max speed!" At Ryoko's order, the ship yelled with glee and went into hyper drive.

*************

"When we get out of here, I am so gonna kick you're a.."

"Silence!" Mumm-ra shouted as he sent a small energy signature to Washu. As soon as Washu shook the dizziness off, Cheetara woke once again. "It's good to see you awake, Thundercat. I would hate for you to miss the show."

With a wave of his hands four creatures stood in front of him. "What is the meaning of this Mumm-ra?" A reptile looking one demanded.

"Yes Mumm-ra, what would you need our services for now after all this time?" A bird-looking one also demanded.

A dog looking one stood in front of them. "Nevermind that, what do we get for our services this time Mumm-ra?"

"Hoo hoo! These three pretty slaves maybe?" A monkey one said as he attempted to make is way toward the three bound in chains. He was cut off by Mumm-ra's electric shock blocking his way.

"Silence mutants! The Thundercats and others are making their way here now as we speak. I want you all to distract them long enough for me to finish doing my…preparations."

"For your services, you can have these three beauties here." He said pointing to Cheetara, Washu, and Pluto."

The reptilian one looked over at the cage. "And what do you intend on doing with these brats here Mumm-ra…I see two of them are Thunderbrats and Cheetara is over there."

"They are of no interest to you Slithe. I want you to lead Vultureman, Jackalman, and Monkian on your flying machines and get rid of these intruders." With a wave of his hand, four machines were by them. "Do not fail me Mutants." With another wave of his hands, the four mutants and vehicles were gone.

"_Damn they were ugly_. So mummy, I guess you keep them around to make yourself feel good about your ugly reflection huh?"

The comment from the now awake Ayelei made him even more angry. He was irritated further when he saw Hotaru and ChibiUsa giving him mocking smiles. He raised his right hand, but instead of shocking him, he directed it toward Pluto. Electricity went through her instantly. When he saw that all the children were glaring at him, he smiled at them.

"Now children…shall we begin?" Before they had a chance to react, they were once again in a trance. The cage illuminated and their remaining energy went into the ritual vase.

_Soon._ Mumm-ra thought to himself. _Soon they will be here._

*************

The girl in black stopped and looked over her shoulder as the elder one stopped.

"My Queen…"

"Yes Ti'shina…I felt it also. It is almost time. Let us prepare for our departure."

"Yes…my Queen."


	23. Chapter 23

There it is!" Lion-O announced as they neared the pyramid. Just then, the Eye of Thunder and Neptune's mirror started glowing. Taking his sword to his face Lion-O commanded, "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!" Neptune concentrated on her mirror, closed her eyes, and mumbled some words.

What they saw were one in the same._ Six girls in a cage. Three people chained to a wall. Energy going into a vase. The vase going into the cauldron. Two figures begin to emerge from a cloud of black smoke._ As quickly as the smoke appeared, it surrounded the vision of Neptune's mirror, and the sight beyond sight. Both of them gasped out loud and looked at everyone around them.

"We have to get there now!" Lion-O stated.

"I sense some very negative energy growing inside there." Mars said.

"According to my mirror, this Mumm-ra is summoning something very evil as we speak."

"Two something to be exact." Lion-O finished.

Sailor Moon was fidgeting with her spot while holding ChibiChibi Moon's hand. Venus tapped Mercury on the shoulder and jerked her head at Sailor Moon as if she were silently asking her _what's wrong with her?_

At first, Mercury just shrugged her shoulders, believing that she was nervous about the battle coming up. Then she noticed that Sailor Moon was looking from ChibiChibi Moon and Diana to Ryoko. Mercury elbowed Venus to get her attention. When she did she motioned her head at Ryoko.

Venus raised a brow and observed what Mercury had taken in. _Don't tell me she's afraid to ask Ryoko?_ Venus thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she walked up until she was in view of Ryoko.

"Ryoko?" Venus asked from behind her. Ryoko turned and looked at her with a face that asked _what do you want?_ "Say, it is okay with you if ChibiChibi Moon and Diana stay aboard Ryo-Oki until we get everyone out? We don't want him to try and take the rest of the kids do we?" She said with her right hand behind her head and a smile on her face.

Ryoko shrugged her shoulders and turned back around. "Fine with me. Just don't let them run free making a ruckus of Ryo-Oki."

"Arigato [Thank you]." The Thundercats looked confused at the last word Venus had said. It obviously didn't bother any of the others since that didn't look confused like they were. Every Thundercat looked at Tygra and he nodded his head. His way of saying, _I'll look into it when we get back._

"Alright everyone we're here. Let's get ready to go…" Ryoko was cut off by blasters hitting Ryo-Oki. The last blast caused everyone to loose balance and fall to the floor. Pulling up a view on the screen, Ryoko looked for the problem. "What the hell are those things?"

"Mutants!" WilyKat yelled as he got aboard his spaceboard after falling off of it.

Bengali rubbed his forehead. "Great! Just what we need! A distraction from Mumm-ra is just perfect!"

"You're right Bengali." Panthro said. "Mumm-ra must have summoned them to delay us getting to the pyramid since we're all working together.

"Then we'll blast them out of the sky!" Ryoko said as Ryo-Oki began forming an orange energy orb. She shot at them but missed. Again and again she shot, but there was much open space and the machines were fast. She fired another blast and it landed inches from the pyramid.

"Watch where you're shooting! Are you trying to blow the pyramid up before we get anyone out!" Uranus yelled.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas so far Miss Tutu." Ryoko retorted back.

"Screw this! Ryoko beam us down!" Jupiter yelled. The Thundercats also nodded with approval. Sailor Moon bent down to be eye level with ChibiChibi Moon. "Look after her for me Diana?"

"I sure will."

"Alright everyone let's do this!" After Ryoko finished, everyone was on the ground in front of the pyramid. A round of shots came out of nowhere and they were unable to block it. Just then, a massive force field surrounded the entire group. Ayeka, along with the help of Azaka and Kamidake, had created a barrier just in time.

"Everyone I'm about to drop the shield! Get ready!" The Thundercats took out their weapons, the Senshi took on defense stances, Kiyone and Mihoshi took out their guns, Ryoko hovered with her orange orbs ready, and Tenchi had his sword Tenchiken ready.

As soon as the barrier dropped, everyone scattered. The mutants flew around, looking for their first target. Slithe went for the Thundercats, Vultureman was occupied with trying to get Ryoko, Monkian went after the Senshi, and Jackalman went for Tenchi and the others.

"Hooo!" Lion-O shouted, making a blast come from his sword. Slithe managed to dodge a series of blasts before coming back with a few of his own. Lion-O used his claw-shield to block the blasts. Bengali took his hammer of Thunder and shot blasts from the mouth of it, grazing the side of Slithe's vehicle.

He flew back up to recover, and swooped down to run the two Thundercats over. They jumped out of the way and let Slithe pass. WilyKat flew in front of Slithe as if he wanted to be his next target. As Slithe attempted to hit the spaceboard, Panthro fired from this nun chucks, and Tygra with his bolo whip. The two blasts united as one, hitting the back motor of Slithe's machine. The reptile cursed as his machine flew out of control. He hit the ground hard and cursed at it.

"They're still as dumb as ever. Some things never change." WilyKat said as he flew back toward the Thundercats.

Monkian was enjoying his game of cat and mouse with the senshi. He developed a strategy where he would shoot at them, and when they were about to use an attack, he would fly in front of the pyramid. That would stop their attack because they were afraid of hitting it for they didn't know what would happen to the captives on the inside.

"_**World…"**_ She was seconds from letting her 'world shaking' attack go when Monkian flew in front of the pyramid. _Damn! This is getting us nowhere!_ Uranus thought to herself. Monkian flew up into the sky once again and began shooting many blasts down at them. She looked over to Sailor Moon to see she was dodging the shots with ease. _She's gotten better than I thought._

"Look out!" Uranus' mind went blank as she saw Mercury pushing her out of the way of a blast. The blast grazed Mercury's left shoulder, but she said she was fine; that is was a scratch and she would be okay. Uranus looked closer and saw she was in terrible pain. _That wound needs to be tended to._

"_**Juipter…oak…"**_

"_**Deep…"**_

"_**Venus…crescent…"**_

Once again, Monkian flew in front of the pyramid to avoid the attacks. "If you surrender now, then you all can be our slaves like the other three and keep your lives."

"What!" Mars yelled. Fearing another attack, Monkian flew in front of the pyramid. _**"Mars…flame…"**_ She had her bow and arrow of flame in her hand, ready to take the shot, but feared he would move and she'd hit the pyramid, she made her attack disappear. She caught sight of Tenchi out of the corner of her eye. The way he used the sword was very impressive. _That technique…why does it look so familiar?_ She thought to herself.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Mercury typing away on her mini computer with her right hand. She was trying to type and dodge blasts at the same time. Before she had time to go over and help her, a series of blasts came her way. _So he isn't as dumb as he talks._ She thought to herself.

Ayeka looked over her shoulder and saw that the senshi were trying to help Mercury but couldn't because of Monkian. _I hope she's trying to come up with a good plan._ She thought as she jumped out of the way of a blast. Kiyone and Mihoshi were shooting at him and dodging his blocks. Tenchi would use his sword to deflect the shots back at Jackalman, but his machine was too fast. _Why doesn't he use the wings of the lighthawk?_

Again her eyes went back to the senshi. Making a decision, she turned to her guardians. "Azaka! Kamidake!"

"Yes Princess?!" They spoke in unison.

"Protect Mercury while she comes up with something!"

"As you wish Princess!"

A blast came straight for Mercury, but it never touched her. She looked around and saw that once again, the guardians had come to her rescue. Using the time she had, she typed away on her computer and came with a solution. "Ryoko! Please come quickly!"

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment!" She shouted back from the spot in the air. _It's not like I can be two places at one time…wait a minute I can!_

In the depths of her mind, Ryoko spoke to another.

_Hey Zero! Can you help me out for a moment?_

_Sure. What do you need me to do?_

_Keep this ugly bird busy while I help them over there._

_Alright Ryoko! You got it!_

Ryoko materialized down beside Mercury in the shield. Mercury blinked at Ryoko then back at the one in the sky. "How did you…"

"Didn't you call me here for something?" She asked in irritation.

Mercury nodded her head and explained to her what the plan was.

_Whatever she's planning, I hope it's something good!_ Sailor Moon thought as she dodged another blast from Monkian. Ryoko nodded and disappeared from sight.

_Zero we've got a plan_

_I'm listening Ryoko._

"Minna [Everyone], when I give you the signal, use your attack!"

The Thundercats looked in confusion again. There was that strange tongue again. They would ask them about it later, but now they had other things to worry about.

Monkian was about to attack again when a pair of feet appeared in front of his face. "You know, the people you hang out with really reflect on your character." Ryoko said with a smile on her face. She jumped off the machine, throwing him off balance for a moment.

"I'll get you for that!" Monkian fired everything he had, and still could not hit Ryoko. In attempt to get better range, he moved further away from the pyramid. Zero was also luring Vultureman close to where Tenchi and company were.

_Just a little closer._ Mercury thought. Ryoko and Zero floated until they were back to back with each other; each mutant still getting closer and closer. When they were close enough, Ryoko and Zero fused as one whole again and phased down to the ground.

"What are you doing way over here Monkian?! Hurry up and go back to your area!"

"But…where did she go?" Monkian asked Vultureman.

"Now!" Mercury shouted.

"_**World…shaking!"**_

"_**Deep…submerge!"**_

"_**Jupiter…oak…evolution!"**_

"_**Venus…love…and…beauty…shock!"**_

"_**Mars…flame…sniper!"**_

"_**Mercury…aqua…raspberry!"**_

Everyone looked in amazement as the attacks blew the machines up. The mutants jumped off in the knick of time to land on Jackalman's machine. "What are you doing fools? Get off of me!"

Using this distraction, Kiyone pointed her gun up, closed one eye, and took a shot. It was a direct hit. Like Slithe earlier, the machine spun out of control and hit the ground. The three of them were moaning and groaning as if it were the worse pain they had ever felt.

"Get off your worthless hides and fight!" Slithe yelled at them. They each stood and took out a weapon.

Lion-O "Think about it Mutants." He said pointed the Sword of Omens at them

Ryoko "Are you sure you want to fight us?" She said floating with orange orbs ready.

Sailor Uranus "All at the same time?" She said with a clutched fist in a glove.

"Retreat! You have won this round, but there will be many more battles, mark my words!" After Slithe finished his speech, the mutants ran for their lives.

Before anyone had a change to recover, celebrate, or complain, electricity and dark clouds formed over the pyramid.

A voiced boomed over the entire perimeter. "You're too late! Mwahh!!! Ha ha ha!!! It has begun!"

Mumm-ra had succeeded.


	24. Chapter 24

Keep running straight!"

"Are you sure Lion-O?"

"Yes Uranus. I've been here a few times in the past." She looked over to her right where Neptune would normally be. Neptune, Mercury, Venus, Bengali, and Mihoshi decided to guard the entrance in case the Mutants came back.

"There is an opening now!" Kiyone announced.

The large group went directly into the heart of the pyramid. Sailor Moon looked over her left shoulder and saw three figures chained to a wall. Focusing her eyes, she could tell who the one was on one of the ends. "Pluto?!" She yelled as she ran toward her.

Pluto opened her eyes to see the Senshi and others. She figured they were friends of Washu and Cheetara. Washu looked at Pluto and smiled. "Okay you win. You were right about them coming. Just don't tell anyone I was wrong." Washu stopped and tried to catch her breath. They were still weak from Mumm-ra zapping them, and talking was probably the last thing they needed to be doing now.

Even if she could say something, she didn't have time to reply before Sailor Moon's body draped around her. "Are you okay? We were so worried about you!" The others breathed out a sigh of relief. Ryoko phased in front of Tenchi to be looking Washu in the eyes.

"It just figures you'd lead us here and get caught."

_I'm glad to see you're alright too Little Ryoko_. Washu mentally said to Ryoko. Normally Ryoko would get mad and tell Washu not to call her that, but now she was just happy Washu was alright. Thinking back to Cheetara, Washu and Pluto looked as the Thundercats tried to wake her up. Tygra then began to reach for her chains.

"Don't touch her!" Washu and Pluto yelled in unison.

"Why not?" Panthro demanded.

"Thundranuim…" Washu started to say.

"…on her hands." Pluto finished before she too passed out.

"Lean everyone forward!" Ryoko shouted. When they had done what she asked, she formed an orange orb, put her fist around it, and made a sword. With one swift move, she cut them from the wall.

"Let me get the ones around their wrists." Uranus said as she produced her spacesword. Also with one motion, she cut the metal off their wrists and they fell to the floor. One of Cheetara's had fallen by WilyKat's foot and he leaned against the wall for support. Kiyone kicked the piece of metal away from the Thundercats and sent it flying over by Mumm-ra's coffin.

"You okay kid?" Panthro asked. He was answered with him nodding his head in a yes manner.

Tygra carried Cheetara in his arms, Panthro took Pluto into his, and Tenchi placed Washu on his back like he would give Sasami a piggy-back ride.

"There are the girls!" Ayeka shouted. Ryoko disappeared as if she were going to phase inside of the cage. After a second or two, a scream was heard with electricity flying everywhere. Ryoko reappeared as she was sprawling backwards. Seeing where she was going, Uranus hopped slightly to catch Ryoko before she hit anyone. They slid a few inches on the ground before stopping.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

There was an awkward silence until Jupiter spoke up. "What happened Ryoko?"

"I guess it's some form of energy field. The barrier is so good that I can't even go through it."

Lion-O pointed his sword at the cage and yelled, "Hoooo!" A long surge of energy ripped into the barrier causing it to disperse. Once the barrier was gone, he walked toward the cage.

_Thundranuim._

Tygra looked around to see if anyone other than himself had heard the voice. Noone seemed to notice when he heard it again, this time sounding more familiar. He looked down at Cheetara and understood. She was tapping into her sixth sense to reach his mind.

_What about the Thundranium Cheetara?_

_Thundranuim…around…the cage…_ Then the thought was cut off.

"Lion-O don't touch the cage! The entire thing is made of Thundranium!"

Lion-O stopped and took a few steps back. "Tygra how did you know…" He stopped when he saw Tygra looking down at Cheetara. _She must have told him._

"Blast that mummy!" Panthro ranted. "We have to get them out, there is not telling how long they've been in there."

"Alright then. Thundercats stand back." Once again Uranus produced her spaced sword. Raising the sword above her head, she called upon her second attack.

"_**Spacesword blaster!"**_

Yellow energy shaped like her sword flew through each row of bars. When her attacked stopped, the cage was still intact. "You didn't even scratch it!" Ryoko yelled.

Jupiter sighed heavily and walked over to the cage and muttered "Show-off" under her breathe so Mars and Sailor Moon could hear her. She touched one of the bars with her left index finger causing the entire thing fall.

The Senshi, Ayeka, and Kiyone picked up all the remains of the cage and threw them to the side. The noise then cause something in the corner to stir, although no one noticed it fore they were busy trying to get the girls to respond.

Ma-Mutt flew in front of Mumm-ra's coffin and howled loud enough to get everyone's attention. Mumm-ra appeared with a huge smile on his face. "Welcome to Mumm-ra's pyramid. I'm glad you've brought some friends of yours Thundercats. Too bad you all have missed the show. Mwahh ha ha!"

"What have you done to them Mumm-ra?" Lion-O demanded as he pointed his sword at him. "In due time Thundercat. First, I would like to introduce you all to someone." Mumm-ra moved to the side as a cloud of smoke formed in the middle of his masters. From there, some portal seemed to open as more black smoke came out. Two figures emerged.

The first was a girl, hardly thirteen. Behind her was a girl…or woman perhaps. She could possible have been about the same age as the sailors. A staff was in her hand and it circulated with energy.

After quickly surveying the area, they both dropped down to their knees. The eldest one spoke first. "Thank you for summoning us Ancient Spirits of Evil. How may we serve you?"

In one voice that the Thundercats had never heard before, they spoke at one, "Mumm-ra!"

He appeared in front of them as they stood back up. He slightly bowed to them both, "Welcome to 3rd Earth Empress Ti'ria, Lady Ti'shina. I am Mumm-ra, the Ever-Living of these lands. The ancient ones asked me to summon you…so you can finish your bidding."

They each looked around the pyramid. "I see you have brought sacrifices Mumm-ra." Ti'ria said as she looked over at the unconscious children.

"Think again!" Jupiter said as she jumped in front of the girls.

"How noble of you girl. I sense you are one of the people of the White Moon."

Sailor Moon had ChibiUsa in her arms when she heard the comment. "Who are you? How do you know about the White Moon?"

Ti'ria stepped closer with Ti'shina by her side. This time, Ti'shina spoke. "You must be the new heir to the Serenity line. I wonder how many years it has been for us since you were born."

The voice the child spoke in was eerie. Mars' breathing was starting to pick up again. Danger was zooming around in her head as she felt an anxiety attack beginning to come. Tygra was doing the same thing. Ti'ria directed her attention toward them.

"You two must obtain some form of psychic trail. I'm surprised. Most would have succumbed to my energy by now. Either I am getting rusty or the mortals have gotten stronger over the millennia."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Sword of Omens growled. Lion-O didn't have time to reach for the sword when Ti'ria used her staff to let out a powerful blast. Thanks to Azaka and Kamidake, they were still in one piece.

_She's strong_ Ryoko thought to herself. She had every mind to go and ram them, but she decided against it when she looked over and saw Kiyone holding the unconscious Ayelei. She did a quick surveillance of everyone and saw they were touching in some form. "Sailor Moon! Grab Jupiter's hand!" Ryoko yelled. As she did this, everyone appeared in front of the pyramid with the others that were guarding it.

"What happened?" Venus asked as she and the others outside checked on their fallen comrades.

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here now!" Mars yelled. "There are two beings in there that are way more powerful than Mumm-ra! We can't fight them now, we'll risk putting the others at risk."

Ryoko wobbled for a moment and leaned backward as if she were about to loose her place on the ground. An arm reached out and caught her by the elbow. "You okay Ryoko?"

She blinked in surprise as Mihoshi asked her the question again. "Yeah. I've never done it with that many people before." Mercury was scanning everyone with the use of her visor and mini-computer.

"They have lost a lot of energy. We have to get them to a comfortable place before they loose any more."

"We have a medical unit at the Lair." Lion-O said as he gave WilyKit to Bengali. He had both Kit and Kita under his arms, so Bengali took one off his hands.

"Beam us up Ryo-Oki!" Ryoko shouted.

Diana sat upon ChibiChibi Moon's head as everyone came back. Tenchi had Washu on his back, Ayeka was holding Sasami, Kiyone- Ayelei, Panthro- Pluto, Uranus- Hotaru, Sailor Moon- ChibiUsa, Tygra-Cheetara, Lion-O- Kitara, and Bengali- WilyKit.

"What do we do about those two evil things back there?" Jupiter questioned.

"We'll deal with them later. Right now, let's get everyone to safety. Ryoko?" Uranus asked.

"Where to Lion-O?"

"These are the coordinates." He told her.

"Alright, approaching Cat's Lair in less then ten minutes." She sounded so sure to herself that everyone was going to be okay, but in the back of her mind she prayed, _Hold on everyone. We're almost there._

*******

_So this is Earth now?_ Ti'ria thought to herself as she and Ti'shina watched the images in Mumm-ra's cauldron. The only thing she was fairly interested in was technology. She saw the images of the Mutants and Thundercats using weapons and vehicles, the Berbils, and Ryo-Oki.

"Earth certainly has changed." She then looked over at Mumm-ra to study his form. _Disgusting being this Mumm-ra is._ She thought to herself.


	25. Chapter 25

"So how much longer until we find out if they're going to be okay?" Sailor Moon asked as they all stood inside of the council room.

"Pumyra will inform us as soon as she has the results back." Lion-O answered.

As soon Ryo-Oki was in position over Cat's Lair, she transported everyone inside. They laid everyone on separate beds while WilyKat went to inform Snarf and Pumyra what was going on. As an attempt to put everyone's mind at ease, Lion-O encouraged everyone to come and wait inside the council room until Pumyra had finished with her new patients.

Neptune had recalled during their walk in the forest that Bengali had mentioned that Pumyra and he were expecting a baby. She was about to ask him about it when a shrill came from outside the council room doors. Everyone except the Thundercats took on a ready stance.

"It's okay everyone." Lion-O assured. "It's just…"

"Snarf!!!" The fury creature whined as it made its way to Lion-O's lap. "WilyKat just told me about two strange creatures Mumm-ra just summoned. How is everyone? Are you hurt Lion-O? Who are all of these people? Why didn't you call Lyxn-O at the Tower? What…"

"Snarf please calm down! Everyone is fine; I'm not hurt; they are all friends; Lynx-O is on his way here with Snarfer."

Everyone looked at him as he finished answering the questions with ease as if he was use to it. "Everyone this is Snarf. He was my nursemaid when we were on Thundera."

Ayeka looked at the creature known as Snarf. "A nursemaid you say? Would that be the same equivalent as a nanny?"

"I guess so." Lion-O answered back.

Before Snarf could start another round of questions, the door came open and WilyKat stepped through. "Pumyra said that it was okay for everyone to see them. They are all awake now." He looked over to the Senshi with a questioning look. "Um…something weird happened with Pluto."

They felt their hearts skip a beat. "Something weird like what WilyKat?" Venus asked.

"Well, she was in that outfit you all are wearing now. All of a sudden she glowed this red-ish, purple-ish color and now she has on some kind of dress."

"Oh is that all?" Mercury said through a smile. Every Senshi looked to their leader as they nodded their heads in unison.

"Was it something like this?" Neptune asked as they all glowed their respected colors. Where the warriors stood were now what seemed to be regular looking humans.

"Yeah! It was just like that!" WilyKat agreed.

"So is that how you all dress in your time Sailor Moon?" Panthro asked.

"You can call me Usagi; and yes this is how we dress."

"Why would I call you Usagi?"

"Because it's my civilian name. While I'm a Senshi, I am known as Sailor Moon."

Bengali looked over at the rest of them. "Is it the same way with all of you?"

The tall brunette spoke this time. "Yeah. As a Senshi, I am known as Sailor Jupiter, but as a civilian I am called Makoto; but you can call me Mako for short.

"As a Senshi I am Sailor Venus but in civilian form I am Minako; but you can call me Mina.

"Or V-babe if you want." Makoto said in a low voice. Mina just glared at her because she couldn't stand that nickname after the Sailor V counterpart.

"My name is Ami." The one formally known as Mercury spoke.

"ChibiChibi!"

Lion-O looked at Usagi for a translation. "Chibi Chibi. Sailor Pluto is now known as Setsuna, the dark-haired girl is Hotaru, and the pink-haired one is ChibiUsa."

Tenchi looked over at the girl who was once Mars as she introduced herself. "I am Rei." She was dressed in what appeared to be a priestess robe: a white top, red bottom, white socks, and traditional sandals. _I guess she is a priestess after all._ He thought.

Panthro looked at who was once Uranus with an aquamarine-haired girl under her right arm. "Haruka."

"And I'm Michiru."

WilyKat stared at Haruka. Tall, male-like attire, and some form of a deep voice. He knew he shouldn't ask, but the curiosity got the best of him. "So Haruka, are you still a girl or are you a g…? OWW! What was that for Panthro?!" The young Thundercat asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That was for being so nosy. That's your sister's area of expertise so don't ask such personal questions."

Ryoko, Mina, and Diana were laughing at WilyKat's question to Haruka. Michiru, on the other hand, felt pity for the kid. "It's alright Panthro. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it." She used her elbow to jab Haruka in the rib to speak up.

"Ow…huh? Oh..yeah, right. It's okay Kat. I'm a not a man, but the attire is quite comfortable to me."

With that, Haruka put her arm around Michiru's back again. Ryoko had stopped laughing long enough to put two-and-two together. "No way! Are you telling me that you two are…"

"You got a problem with that?" Haruka asked as she stood in front of Michiru.

"Haruka calm down!" Michiru said as she took the blonde by the hand.

"Ryoko…" Tenchi started.

"Yeah I know. Don't expect me to apologize though." Haruka glared at Ryoko and she returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry; I didn't get all of your names." Tygra started as an attempt to keep the peace.

"Perhaps we should change into something a bit comfortable also?" Ayeka suggested.

"Whatever." Ryoko said as she phased into her white dress with orange pants legs before everyone.

Tenchi and Ayeka glowed with Jurian power as they changed also. Ayeka donned her usual purple-ish robe she wore around the Masaki house and Tenchi had on his field clothes.

Rei stared at him with curiosity. _I wonder why he was staring at me like that. He seems to be some kind of field worker. He wielded that sword earlier as if it were a part of him. _

"Okay then. I'm Ryoko and this is Ryo-Oki." She said as the cabbit appeared on her shoulder. "And this…" Ryoko started as she appeared behind Tenchi. "…is my love Tenchi."

"Oh you beast…leave Tenchi alone!" Ayeka shouted as she attempted to drag Tenchi away from Ryoko. While she pulled on his left arm, Ryoko kept a firm grip on his right.

"Come on you two stop it! We're in the company of our host…please stop fighting over me fore five minutes!" With that they complied and let him go.

"Sorry everyone. My name is Tenchi. The pink-haired one is Washu, the one with one ponytail is Ayelei, and the one with two is Sasami."

"I am Princess Ayeka, 1st Princess of Jurai. Sasami is my younger sister. On behalf of…" as Ayeka continued with her formal introduction, Ryoko was behind her mouthing everything she said since she's heard it so many times. WilyKat and Mina were finding it hard not to laugh at her.

"Ryoko!" Ayeka shouted.

"What? I didn't do anything. Does this look like the face of someone who would dare interrupt your royal speech?" Ryoko said with an innocent look on her face.

Kiyone and Tenchi just shook their heads at their display. "Oh, Kiyone? Kiyone?"

"What Mihoshi!"

"Can we change too? Please.

Sighing, Kiyone started, "Mihoshi, we didn't bring any extra clothes, we don't have a ship here, and only Washu can get us home right now."

Mihoshi looked at her with a blank expression. "So…that means?"

"It means we can't change like everyone else Mihoshi!" She yelled slightly at her.

"Yes we can, see." She said as she produced a cube.

"Where did you get that Mihoshi?"

"I got it from my ship before we left. It has some new features on it like changing clothes. Let's try it out!"

"Are you telling me that thing hasn't been tested for…?"

Before she could say anything else, Mihoshi had twisted the cube and they were now standing in nothing but their undergarments. "Mihoshi!" She yelled as she attempted to hide her body from everyone else.

Mihoshi was freaking out because she couldn't figure out how to work it. "I'm sorry Kiyone, I'll figure it out."

Each time Mihoshi twisted it, instead of getting regular clothes on, it would change them into smaller and smaller articles. The last time she twisted it, Kiyone was wearing a black string thong that was held together by two metal loops on each hip and a small black crap-less bra held together by a metal hook in the front between her breasts. Mihoshi's was the same way, except it was a dark blue color.

"Give me that thing!" She yelled as she took it away from her. With one twist, they were wearing the usual clothes they wore around the house. After making the cube disappear, Kiyone's face was so red, she resembled a boiled lobster. Everyone in the room was silent.

Haruka pretended to be shocked but she was smiling on the inside out of fear of what Michiru would do if she caught her. Tenchi was on the verge of a nosebleed and WilyKat could have passed out if Panthro wasn't standing behind him. The only other person who was blushing besides Kiyone was Lion-O.

It took her a while to regain her composure, but after a while she began to speak. "I am Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi. And this…unfortuatley…is my bubble-brained partner Mihoshi."

Mihoshi waved at everyone as if nothing had just happened.

"Meya, Meyow." Ryo-Oki whispered to Diana.

"You could say that again."

Ryoko blinked at the little kitten. "You can understand her Diana?"

"Well yeah. Her accent is strange but 'cat' is something I definitely understand. Can't you?"

"Yeah. I just thought no one else understood her but me."

"Well, shall we go see everyone?" Lion-O suggested. With a nod from everyone, they made their way to the medical unit.

*******

"I can't believe she's making us stay in here." WilyKit huffed with folded arms from her bed in the medical unit.

"Yeah. We're fine now; besides, Pumyra herself said we seemed to have done a full recovery." Kitara agreed with her.

"She just wants to make sure we're fine." Ayelei started. "I don't see any harm in taking precautions. Do you Sasami?"

"No. She seems to be a really nice person."

"That's because she is." Everyone turned their head toward the voice of Cheetara. You could look at her and tell she was still a bit weak, but she was a lot stronger also. "She is one of the sweetest and kindest people I've been honored to call a friend."

"That's nice. It really is great to be able to call someone a friend." Washu added.

Setsuna was listening to what everyone was saying, but she also noticed the body language of ChibiUsa and Hotaru. Hotaru was uncomfortable because this room reminded her of a hospital and ChibiUsa was uncomfortable because Hotaru was tense. "I'm sure that Pumyra will be here soon to clear all of us." The two girls took in her reassuring words and smiled.

A knock on the door came and everyone looked at each other to see who should answer. "Come on in." Cheetara said.

WilyKat was the first to stick his head in the door. "I've brought you all some visitors." Everyone piled into the medial room. Hugs, kisses, and thank-yous were handed out for the reunion.

Mina was standing by Setsuna when Tygra gave Cheetara his hug. Something tingled inside her head as she put on a wicked grin.

"Don't even think about it Mina!" Rei harshly whispered to her.

"What are you talking about?" She tried to ask innocently.

"Don't kid us Mina." Makoto started. "We know that wicked smile anywhere. Whatever your gut or instincts are telling you, ignore them until we get home."

"Okay then, fine." She said as she turned her attention back to Setsuna. "So how do you feel now?"

"A lot better Mina. Thank you for asking."

Ayelei looked at the bond between the Senshi and Thundercats: WilyKit and WilyKat, Cheetara and Kitara, The inners and outers, there was even a bond within her group; Mihoshi and Kiyone, and Sasami and everyone who came into contact with her.

_Why can't I have a bond like that with Ryoko again?_ She thought to herself. _Everyone seems so_… "OW! What was that for?" She rubbed her left arm as she and Ryoko glared at each other.

"You sent your thoughts to me again! If you can't control your link then don't think so hard! I don't want to feel pity when it ain't mine!"

"At least I have a brain to think hard with!" She retorted back.

"You know you're not as smart as you think you are!"

"Mom thinks that I am."

"If you weren't my sister I'd kick your little…"

"Alright you two! Knock it off right now!" Kiyone shouted. Tenchi was going to do it for Washu but Kiyone stepped in and took over for him.

"She stared it!" Ayelei said pointing a finger at Ryoko.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Alright already!" Tenchi, Kiyone, Ayeka, and Washu shouted.

WilyKat kept looking from Ayelei to Ryoko to Kiyone. "You know Ayelei, your mom looks mighty young to have daughters your ages." He noted while his eyes were still on Kiyone.

"Sorry kid but I'm not their mother. She is." Kiyone said jerking a thumb at Washu. Everyone stared wide-eyed at Washu while she was laughing on the inside from all of the attention.

"Looks can be deceiving but you all can call me Little Washu." She said with a cute face.

"Speaking of little…" Haruka started as she looked around the room towards the floor. Usagi caught on and started looking around also.

"Did anyone see where ChibiChibi went?" Usagi asked.

"What's a ChibiChibi?" WilyKit asked.

"She's a little girl that came here with us." Usagi replied.

"Well she didn't come in here with you all. I would have seen her since I'm closer to the entrance." Kita replied.

Before Usagi could answer, the door came open and walked in Pumyra with ChibiChibi in her arms eating something sweet. None the less, the crust, filling, icing, and cream from whatever the sweets contained were everywhere, but Pumyra didn't seem to mind. "I do believe she belongs to you all." She said gesturing to the Senshi.

Usagi was about to place her in her arms but decided not to when she saw what a mess she was so she instead held on to her wrist. "Thank you. Where did you find her?"

"I was on my way to the control room when I saw her standing in front of a tray of food. She had already eaten two of the sweets so I let her finish the third one on the way here. I hope you don't mind."

"No not at all. She loves sweets." ChibiChibi was struggling under her hand so she let her go. Soon as she was free, she ran straight into the arms of ChibiUsa. She didn't even get dirty from ChibiChibi though ChibiUsa obviously didn't mind getting dirty from the child.

Tears swelled up in Usagi's eyes that her friends knew all too well. "It's not fair! She likes that pink-haired brat more than she does me!" She said as more tears came down.

"Who are you calling a brat odango atama?"

"Don't call me that!"

"Good grief you two!" Rei yelled. "We are guests here. Stop acting like babies. Look, even ChibiChibi is acting more mature than you two!"

"Chibi mature! Mature!" She laughed as she jumped from ChibiUsa and sat in the bed beside Hotaru. "Cake?"

Hotaru shook her head. "Thanks, but no thank you."

The sugar seemed to be going to her head because soon she began jumping up and down on Hotaru's bed. Hotaru didn't really mind, but she was still weak and the bouncing was starting to make her queasy.

Hotaru felt as if she were going to toss her cookies when ChibiChibi jumped off the bed and started running around the room. No one really knew what to do, so Usagi tried her hardest to catch the toddler. ChibiChibi easily dodged her by running between her legs and when she bent down to catch her, she hit her head on the edge of one of the tables.

"OWWW! That hurts!!!" She cried as she knelt on the floor holding her head. Once again, she was bouncing on Hotaru's bed. This time, Haruka and Makoto stood on both sides of the bed. Hotaru slid back as far as she could and tucked her feet underneath herself. Both launched themselves to catch the child but on her last big bounce, she catapulted herself in the air, causing the two to bump heads.

Mina went to catch her but she tripped over Rei in the process. At the last split second, Setsuna threw her covers back, stood on her bed, and caught the little child. Setsuna was a real mess, but she didn't care. She looked down at the child with maternal lovingness. "Are you alright little one?" ChibiChibi smiled and clapped her hands together, causing more icing to fly into Setsuna's face.

Everyone else was laughing fairly hard. That was the most entertaining thing the Thundercats had seen in a while. Ryoko was mainly laughing at Haruka for her collide with Makoto.

"Alright Pu!" ChibiUsa yelled.

"Great catch Setsuna-mama!" Hotaru added on. She looked to her left and saw that Michiru was examining Haruka's head. "Michiru-mama? Is Haruka-papa going to be okay?"

"I believe so. Your Haruka-papa has a hard head so I wouldn't worry about a lot happening to the brain." Haruka just glared at her.

Ayelei bounded straight up from her bed. "Mamas? Papa? Hey Hotaru, you never said anything about the outers being your parents!"

"Yes I did."

"No you said they cared for you while you were a baby. You never said anything about them being your parents."

"You never asked if they were my parents either did you?"

"Well…" For the first time in a while, Ayelei Hakubi Jurai was stumped.

Ryoko floated on the bed Ayelei was on. _What are you doing?_

_About to have a little fun._ "So Haruka?"

Everyone was quiet while Ryoko spoke. As she continued, her eyes stayed on Setsuna. It was as if she were directing the question to Setsuna more than Haruka. "Does this mean she is your girlfriend too?"

"Why you…"

"Haruka calm down!" Michiru warned again.

"Ryoko sit down." Washu's eyes were closed. Her words weren't harsh, but they still held that firmness to it. "Now!" She said a little firmer opening her green eyes to be staring at Ryoko's. _I won't say it again._ She told her daughter mentally.

Ryoko kept her cool face but did what Washu ordered anyway. _Man I hate it when she looks at me like that._

Washu closed her eyes once more and opened them to look at Setsuna still holding onto ChibiChibi. "Gomen [Sorry] Setsuna. She didn't mean anything about it."

"It's quite alright. Many people assume we three are one couple because we raised Hotaru. While I was away, they spent more time with her so it's like I'm a parent part-time and a Senshi full-time." The room was quiet for a while until a knock came at the door again. This time Lynx-O came in followed by Snarfer.

"I sense we have quite a crowd about us. I could also hear you all from the claw a few miles back." He joked.

Kitara shifted for a minute when Lynx-O spoke. Her memory of him was still fresh in her mind from their time together on Thundera. To see him blind was still an adjustment for her.

"Everyone, this is Lynx-O and Snarf's nephew, Snarfer."

Snarfer bounced on his tail to seem taller than he was. "Nice to meet you all."

Something seemed to click inside Pumyra's head. "Oh yeah. I don't see any more reason to keep you all in the medical unit so you may leave here anytime you wish."

"Sweet!" WilyKit said as she jumped out of her bed.

"Music to my ears!" Kitara said as she joined her friend.

Everyone started to move out of bed when Pumyra pointed her finger. "Everyone except you Cheetara. That was a whole lot of Thundranium you were exposed to and I would like to take a few more tests."

Kitara stopped breathing for a moment. Cheetara seemed fine with the idea so she lay back in the bed. It probably wouldn't work, but Kita had to try. "Come on Pumyra let her go. Can't you do it later? Besides, she's got to help us get our guests comfortable until they are ready to leave. Right Cheetara?"

Cheetara raised an eyebrow. _Okay kid, what are you up to?_

_Kid? You've been around Panthro too much._

_Don't avoid the question Kitara! What are you planning?_

_Nothing. I just don't want you cooped up in here by yourself._

Cheetara knew she was hiding something, but she really didn't want to know at the moment. "Right. I was going to help get everyone settled in."

"Okay then fine. But I will have to examine you soon."

"Well since that's taken care of," Snarf started "the guest rooms are already prepared. All you all have to do is decide who is going to share a room and I'll start on making some food."

"I could help." Sasami said looking Panthro into the eyes.

"That's good but I'm not the one to ask about the kitchen. That's Snarf's territory." He said to the Jurian princess.

"Oh." Sasami stood in front of Snarf and bowed low. "Snarf? With your permission may I assist you with the meal preparations?"

"Well I'll be snarf, snarf. You actually want to help out?"

"Sasami is the best cook ever. She makes all of our meals and helps keep everything tidy." Tenchi said in support of Sasami.

"Okay then, she can help. Any other takers?" Snarf asked.

"I could help if you like Snarf." Makoto suggested. "I love to cook."

"Alright then you two. Get settled into your rooms and take a nice hot bath. I'm sure you all would enjoy that after that whole ordeal with Mumm-ra and those two beings."

"We still have to figure out what they are." Michiru stated.

"Yes. They knew about our origin. How is that possible?" Usagi pondered aloud.

"Snarf is right. Everyone should get comfortable first, and then we will meet for dinner and figure out what we'll do next." Tygra said.

Lynx-O, Snarfer, and Bengali started toward the exit. Kitara saw them and quickly intervened by blocking the door. "Are you all going back to the Tower already?"

"Well yes we were. Why do you ask Kitara?" Lynx-O asked.

"Well…you haven't got a chance to know everyone yet, plus you just got here. Why not stay for dinner at least. It's not like I get to see you in person everyday is it?"

Lion-O walked over to Cheetara and asked, "What is she up to?" Cheetara just shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I don't see a reason why we can't stay a little longer. Do you Lynx-O? Snarfer?" Bengali asked. They both shook their heads no as Kitara put a huge smile on her face.

"Very well Kitara. We will see you shortly." Lynx-O said as he exited followed by Snarfer. She moved to the side to let Bengali pass but he stopped in front of her. He stared at her as if he were trying to look into her eyes to figure out what she was planning.

He didn't have much luck so he just asked. "Alright Kitara. What are you up to?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Like I believe that."

Pumyra also wanted to know what she was up to but didn't think now was a good time to discuss it. She walked up and intertwined her hand with Bengali's. "Come on Bengali. Let's go with Lyxn-O and Snarfer while everyone gets comfy. Please."

He couldn't say no to her. He leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek. He made a smacking sound with his lips then smiled at Pumyra. "Maybe you should take a dip too. You're covered in sweets." He took one more look at the girl before walking out the door. Pumyra walked pass her and nodded her head meaning 'you're going to tell me everything when I see you.'

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, every room has one bathroom and some extra clothes." Tygra said as he noted that ChibiUsa, Hotaru, Sasami, and Ayelei still had on some form of night clothes.

"Why not just add an onset on the inside." Mihoshi suggested.

"That's not such a bad idea. You guys have an extra room you don't need?" Ryoko asked the Thundercats.

"Ryoko you can't create an onset here." Tenchi said.

"Why can't I?"

"Well…this isn't our home. Plus you can't just go making baths without permission."

"Dear Tenchi, that's why I asked if they had an extra room. I'm sure you're disappointed it won't be used for us, but I'll make it up to you later."

"er..I…I…"

"You devil woman! How dare you assume such…" Ayeka started.

"Now, now princess. I'm sure there is someone out there for you too. Too bad it ain't Tenchi."

"How dare you!"

"Please stop fighting you two!" Sasami nearly cried out. "Please…just for a few moments." She pleaded with them.

"See what you two did! You made Sasami upset! You too should be ashamed of your…"

_Don't start Ayelei!_

Ayelei peered out of the corner of her right eye to see Washu staring at her. _Man I hate it when she looks at me like that._ "Sorry."

Tygra scratched the back of his head. "Well regarding your earlier question Ryoko, we do as a matter of fact have a spare room. Why do you ask?"

"Well I was going to create an onset there."

"What's an onset Ryoko?" WilyKat asked.

"It's a big bath house with a nice environment around it."

Panthro looked at Ryoko. "I don't think I built the room big enough for something like that."

"We'll just have to enlarge the room. Or should I say someone will have to." Ryoko said looking toward Washu.

"You can do that Washu?" Mina asked still rubbing her arm from tripping over Rei.

"Yes. I'll just have to open up a subspace and allow Ryoko to create an onset and whatever else she wishes to accessorize it with."

"Subspace? What is that?" Usagi asked. Washu was about to open her mouth when Ami spoke for the first time.

"Usagi subspace is a subset of a topological space, already having the relative topology."

"What?" Usagi asked.

Washu was shocked that another being understood what subspace was without looking in a dictionary. "She said that it is a smaller space within a main area that has been divided or subdivided…" she stopped when everyone stared at her as if she were speaking another language.

This time, Tygra took a deep breathe. "Subspace is a space that is contained within another space. For example, our vehicles are located in a special room. The room itself is contained within this lair so…"

"So the room is within the Lair's subspace!" Usagi finished for him with a smile stretching across her face.

Tenchi looked shocked at Tygra. "You mean you actually understood what they were talking about?"

"Well yes. Kitara here is our historian so she could have explained it better than I could have." Kitara looked to the floor as everyone stared at her. Ayelei just hung her mouth open.

_I thought I was the only one who could comprehend such things. I've got to pay close attention to those three._ She thought to herself.

"Well now that I have a headache, would you be kind as to show us to our rooms please." Haruka asked Panthro.

"I'd be glad to." He responded as he too rubbed his head.

Once they reached a certain hallway, the groups were decided: The Thundercats already had their assigned rooms on one hall, on an adjacent hall Mina, Makoto, and Ami shared a room; Usagi, Rei, ChibiUsa, ChibiChibi, and Diana shared a room, Hotaru and Setsuna, Michiru and Haruka (of course), Kiyone and Mihoshi, Ayeka and Sasami, Washu, Ryoko, and Ayelei, and finally Tenchi.

"I'm glad you picked a room just for us Tenchi." Ryoko whispered into his ear.

"Hey now! Come of Ryoko!" He pleaded as he attempted to keep Ryoko from groping him (there were children present after all).

"Leave Tenchi alone Ryoko!"

"You can't command me around. What are you going to do little princess? Call your guardians on me?" Ryoko teased.

"Azaka! Kamidake!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Capture Ryo…"

"Stop it!" Washu shouted, this time growing to her full age. "I will not tolerate any more of this child-ish behavior. We are being treated with kindness as guests and this is how you repay them! I can't tell you two to like each other but I am warning you two not to inflict any physical harm on each other while inside this Lair or there will be hell to pay! Do I make myself clear?"

Silence.

"I SAID DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!!" She shouted which caused everyone to jump.

"Yes ma'am!" They both shouted in unison.

Washu stood in front of the spare room and produced her computer while converting back to her child form. "It's enough room in there now. Do what you want with it. I'm going to my room." And with that the little scientist went into her room.

Ayelei wanted to go in and check on her, but she knew her mother was pretty pissed so she just walked beside Sasami to her and Ayeka's room. The extra clothes the Thundercats had were fine, but she would feel comfortable with something from her mother's collection.

A knock came to the door and Ayeka said a soft "Come in." Usagi was the one who poked her head in.

"Hi. The onset is ready so you all can go if you wish." Her smile was so sincere they couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you very much Usagi-san. I will be there shortly."

"Just call me Usagi. See you all soon." And with that she left.

"Doesn't she remind you of Mihoshi a little bit?" Ayelei asked Ayeka and Sasami.

"Well…I suppose just a bit." Sasami admitted.

"She seems a bit more stable in the mind than Mihoshi though." Ayeka said as she left for the onset with her towel in her hand.

A few minutes later as they finished putting on their towels, a knock came to the door. Sasami answered this time. WilyKit, Kitara, ChibiUsa, and Hotaru came in, each wearing a towel around their naked bodies. "So are you two coming?" WilyKit asked.

"Where is your brother?" Ayelei asked out of curiosity.

"He's with Tenchi. Panthro and Tygra told him it would be 'out of character' to bath with a room full of ladies."

ChibiUsa and Hotaru were quiet again. "Setsuna not coming is she?" Ayelei asked. They both shook their heads. "Well, mom isn't coming either. What about Cheetara?"

Kita looked at Kit and exhaled loudly. "She said 'maybe next time'. I bet a nice hot bath would help them relax."

"The only problem is getting them to the onset." WilyKit added. They each put on a wicked smile. "Let's do it!"

*******

"Girls I already said I wasn't going in today." Cheetara said for the fifth time, now getting a bit aggravated.

Kitara didn't want to, but her sister wasn't giving her much of any choice. Making the most pitiful face, she tried to sound as innocent as she could. "I'm sorry Tara. We just wanted you to relax. We understand that you're tired, that was why we wanted this for you today."

"Yeah Cheetara. We just wanted our long-time mother figure to have some quality time to herself with others taking a bath. I don't think that is too much to ask for."

Their words were starting to hit home for Cheetara. For a moment she actually believed she was going to die in Mumm-ra's pyramid. The thought of leaving everyone she loved was too much to bear as tears threatened to fall. The girls were about to comfort her when a knock came to the door. No one knew exactly who should answer so WilyKit went to meet the person.

"Hiya…Kit." Pumyra stopped when she saw them. "Okay what's with the looks?" Everyone was silent because they truly didn't know what to say. "Well I'm on my way to the onset; would you all care to join me?"

"Let me get out of these clothes first." Cheetara quickly got undressed and placed a towel around her. "Shall we ladies?" The team of four made their way to the onset.

*******

"But you're covered in sweets Setsuna-mama!"

"I'm aware of that hime-chan [little princess]."

"You also got it in your hair so you've gotta get it out soon Pu!"

"I am also aware of that Small Lady."

_Why are they so intent on getting me to the onset?_ "I'm fine washing off in here girls."

"Please Pu." ChibiUsa begged as she hugged Setsuna's left hip.

"Please Setsuna-mama." Hotaru did the same with her right.

After looking the girls in the eyes that were on the verge of tears, Setsuna submitted. "Let me find some towels first." At that, both girls tackled her to the floor with hugs.

*******

"I can't believe you're being so persistent Ayelei."

"I can't believe you're being so stubborn. Isn't that the word you used to describe Ryoko anyway mom?"

Washu sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her temple. "I'm glad you two want what's best for me but I don't want to take a dip in the onset right now."

"Are you still pissed at Ryoko and Ayeka?"

Sasami looked shocked at Ayelei. "You shouldn't say that word."

"I'm not saying it, I'm just quoting mom. She sure says it enough."

Washu couldn't help but crack a smile at them._ Those two are just how sisters are supposed to be._ "I'm not going in."

"You never answered the question mother."

"Yes I'm still piss…upset at them."

Sasami held Washu's hand and looked at her with soft eyes. "You don't know how the others will react to you changing into a woman do you?"

_So sister, you saw right through me. Tell me what I should do now Tsunami?_

_I cannot decide for you Washu. I'm not familiar with those other beings but I sense they are pure of heart. Please believe me._

Ayelei looked from Washu to Sasami and waited. _I sure do hope Tsunami comes through for us._ She thought to herself. Without warning, Washu stood up and changed instantly into a towel. "For the record, I know you two coaxed Tsunami into talking me into taking a bath. We will deal with that when we get home; but for now let's just enjoy the bath."

They walked out in time to nearly walk into the other two groups. The three women smiled at each other. "They tricked me." Washu instantly said. "How did they get you two?"

"Guilt and cunning." Cheetara said.

"Force." Setuna said as they hugged her again.

Pumyra stopped in her tracks and held onto the bottom of her stomach. "Pumyra!" WilyKit yelled. Everyone surrounded the puma Thundercat.

"I'm fine. It was just a sharp pain, that's all."

Washu stood back a few inches from the group. _Just a sharp pain huh? I hope that's all it was Pumyra._ "Well you seem fine now. Do you still wish to take a dip in the onset?" Washu asked her.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Once they stepped into the doors, gasps were heard around. Washu observed the onset._ This looks just like the onset at home. Ryoko certainly has improved with her matter configurations._

Ayeka was sitting on the edge with her feet soaking inside the onset. Ami sat a few inches away from her with her feet also in the water, looking around the beautiful scenery. Kiyone was trying to relax but Mihoshi's snoring was keeping her from acquiring her goal. On the opposite side, it was the same situation with Rei and Usagi. Mina and Makoto were attempting to keep ChibiChibi from running around when they noticed the group.

"Well look who's here." Makoto asked gesturing to the new comers.

"Where are Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama?" Hotaru asked the duo.

"I…uh…think they wanted to get comfy in their rooms instead of coming in here with everyone." Mina stumbled out.

Setsuna couldn't help but chuckle at the Senshi of Love. _Yes. And the fact that Michiru would end up killing Haruka because she wouldn't be able to control herself in a room full of half-naked females._

"What funny Pu-mama?" ChibiChibi asked Setsuna.

She giggled at the nickname the child had given her. Listening to ChibiUsa and Hotaru all the time, she was bound to pick up on something sooner or later. She was no more than two or three though; hopefully 'Setsuna' won't be that hard for her to pronounce in the future. "Nothing dear."

Ryoko appeared in front of everyone floating on top of the water in her birthday suit.

"What's up?"

"Ryoko do you have any modesty?" Ayeka calmly asked her.

"Yeah…when I'm at the table eating." Ayeka huffed silently to herself and continued looking down at the water.

_You know what she meant Ryoko!_

_What? Look Washu, it's not like I'm hurting anyone. It's a bath anyway. It's natural to be naked in the bath._

She could have continued the mental banter with her daughter, but Washu was too tired to try. She tiptoed into the onset, made herself comfy, and reclined into the warm water while she rested her head on the edge.

"Do you all use these often?" Kitara asked Ayelei

"Besides baths yes. Normally we would take a bath in another part and come into the onset and relax, but mom installs a filter so the water doesn't get dirty when we wash in them."

She took her hair out of its yellow holder and allowed her hair to flow down her back into the water. "It is good to relax in after a hard days work. That's what Tenchi says anyway." Ayeka and Ryoko tensed up for a brief moment at the mention of Tenchi's name. As soon as they did this, Ayelei regretted making the comment.

"What's wrong?" Kitara asked while Ayelei zoned out.

"Nothing. Just enjoying the water. That's all." She closed her eyes while she dipped her head underwater. When she came up, she looked at everyone around her. "So did you all take a bath already?"

"Yes. We tried waiting for you all, but ChibiChibi kept getting cake icing everywhere." Mako laughed.

WilyKit was scrubbing away with her washing utensils and soap. Each time she finished a cycle of scrubbing with soap and rinsing it off, she would smell her arm. Each time she would make a disgusted face. The other three were doing the same thing, but weren't as obvious as WilyKit.

"What's wrong?" Sasami asked as Ayeka tucked her ponytails inside individual caps.

"I still smell like the floor of the pyramid!" WilyKit practically yelled. "It smells like…"

"Kit!" Cheetara warned at her tone.

"Washu is there something you can do about that?" Ayeka asked.

"Let's see." Producing her laptop, she typed away. "Come here for a second Kit please." She swam close enough to Washu to allow her computer to scan her.

"What are you...?" Before WilyKit could finish asking, Washu's computer beeped. Opening up a hole, she stuck her hand through and pulled out two bottles. "Here you go. This should be more than enough for the four of you. Just squeeze a bit into your cloths and lather. It will take that smell away and leave you cleaner than you ever expected."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. You can even wash your hair…er fur…mane? Whatever with it." Washu guaranteed in her scientific tone.

"Thanks a bunch Little Washu!" Washu grinned with joy as Kit called her by what she wanted. Each Thundercat used the bottle Washu gave them with gratitude. To top it all off, not only did it clean them, but it smelled better than anything they ever used before. Pumyra guessed that when Washu scanned WilyKit, she used her genetic makeup to determine a concoction that would suit her species. She would have asked her, but something told her that she wouldn't have understood what she was talking about.

Kita was trying to lather her head with the stuff Washu gave her, but she wasn't getting a lot accomplished.

"Here. Let me help you with that Kita." Cheetara suggested with a motherly tone.

"I can do it myself Cheetara."

"Sure you can. Come here." Kita sat down in front of Cheetara while she lathered the soapy substance. This reminded Kita of when their mother use to wash her mane when they were back on Thundera…back home…

"So is it working Kita?" WilyKit asked, breaking her friend out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah it is. I can really feel it working and it smells great."

Pumyra walked behind WilyKit and made her sit down a few inches beside Kitara. "Let's see what I can do with this beehive you call a style." Pumyra said as she started to lather WilyKit's hair also.

"Pumyra!" WilyKit started. "Why do I have to…?"

"Don't start Kit. You were the first one to complain about 'smelling like the floor of the pyramid'. Besides, it has been a while since you've washed it anyway."

"They all look so natural don't they Ryo-Oki?" Diana asked from the edge of the onset.

"Miya, meow!" Ryo-Oki agreed.

"Diana! Ryo-Oki! Where have you two been?" ChibiUsa asked as Setsuna took her odangos out.

"We've been here the whole while. Ryo-Oki was telling me about the scenery from a cat's eye view. It is really beautiful in here."

"Would you two like to come in also?" Sasami asked. They both shook their heads no and Ryo-Oki said something and Diana translated.

"We're fine. Thank you though."

*A few minutes later*

"Usagi wake up!" Rei yelled at her.

"Huh? Wha…?" Usagi asked while she wiped she sleep from her eyes.

"I said wake up! You've been asleep in here for a long time and everyone is ready to leave!"

"Well…almost everyone." Mina giggled as she directed everyone to Kiyone on the other side of the onset. She apparently was attempting to wake Mihoshi up also but wasn't having much luck.

"Mihoshi wake up! Everyone is ready to go!"

"A few more minutes please." Mihoshi spoke in her sleep. Kiyone flung her hands in the air as if she were about to give up.

"Mind if I take a kick at it?" Ryoko asked.

"Fine with me; just as long as you wake her up."

With approval, Ryoko floated behind Mihoshi and gave her a swift kick in the back of the head. "Get up Mihoshi. We ain't got all day!"

"Huh? Wha…?"

"Does she do that often?" Kitara asked Ayelei.

Rising up from the water, she shrugged her shoulders. "You mean Mihoshi or Ryoko?" It took Kita a second to catch on, but she assumed she meant that their behavior was an everyday thing.

"Come on Makoto! Let's go help Snarf!" Sasami said as the lead the tall brunette toward the exit.

"Okay. We're going to our rooms to get changed then we're going to the kitchen." Makoto yelled to the others as she went out the door.

"Sasami? There is a bag on the bed with your cooking clothes in it." Ayeka yelled.

"Okay. Thanks Ayeka."

"Well since everyone is awake, we should also go prepare for dinner also." Setsuna suggested.

Everyone put a dry towel on their bodies and made their way out the door. Everyone was going inside their designated rooms when Kitara and Rei stopped in the middle of the hall and turned around.

_You sense it too?_ Rei looked around to make sure she wasn't hearing things. _It's me Kitara. I didn't want to alarm everyone so I'm talking to you through my mind. You can talk also._

_Yeah I sense it. It's as if something evil is watching us._

_I believe Mumm-ra is. The feeling is slowly started to disappear so I'm guessing he's not paying attention to us right now. What do you think we should do?_

_There is nothing we can do until we find out what those other two are. The feeling is gone now. We'll talk about it later._

"What's the matter with you two?" Usagi asked.

"Nothing." They spoke in unison. Without saying anything else, they each went into their assigned rooms.

*******

"So they can sense when you're watching them Mumm-ra." Ti'ria stated as the image in the cauldron went away. "It appears it will be more to deal with than anticipated."

"We can find their weaknesses when they drift off to sleep." Ti'shina suggested.

"I have tested the Thundercats during their slumber. Your plan will not work." Mumm-ra said.

"You did not succeed with your plan either did you?" Ti'shina retorted back.

"You dare mock Mumm-ra, the Ever-Living?"

"You dare to raise your voice to the heir of a goddess sorcerer?" Ti'ria demaned drawing her staff.

"Ungrateful wrenches! I brought you back to this world and this is how you repay me! Then meet my wrath!" Mumm-ra began shooting his beams at them, but Ti'ria used her staff to deflect the blasts back at Mumm-ra.

"Fool! You forget it was the Ancient Spirits that granted us these powers! Our powers are far greater than yours, and we will obtain our goal!" She pointed her staff at Mumm-ra and fired a purple/black energy signature at him, striking him in the middle of his chest. This caused the mummy to drop to his knees.

Ti'shina approached him as her entire eye went black. "Someone who is disgusted at his own reflection does not send fear us." She said in her eerie voice. She quickly invaded Mumm-ra's head and found his weakness. Mumm-ra saw reflections of his mummified body all around him. He shrieked at the horror of his form and retreated to his coffin while screeching inside.

"How long will he yell like that Ti'shina?"

"Until I drop my lock over him…or he drives himself crazy." Ma-Mutt was barking at them while standing in front of the coffin as if he were trying to protect his master. "What should we do with that creature he considers a dog?"

"Leave him…for now. We have other business to attend to." On her last word, both entities disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.


	26. Chapter 26

* * *

"Whoa!" WilyKit and WilyKat exclaimed as they entered the dining area. It was way bigger than it was a few hours earlier. Their one family sized table had been doubled- scratch that- tripled in size! More chairs were added to accommodate for the extra company. It was without doubt made so everyone could sit at the one table.

"How did…" WilyKit started

"…this happen?" WilyKat finished.

"I did it." Washu confirmed proudly.

"Really? How did you do it?" Snarfer asked which caused Tenchi and selected others to slightly cringe.

"Do you really want me to try and explain it?" She leaned closer to the furry snarf.

"NO!" Everyone yelled.

_As if we want to sit through one of your lectures after all we've been through today!_ Ryoko thought harshly to herself.

If Washu had a clue as to what Ryoko was thinking, she seemingly ignored her. "Humph, suit yourselves." She shrugged with a coy smile. _Oh well, their loss._ She thought to herself.

"Alright everyone take a seat. Dinner will be served in a minute." Snarf announced as he went back into the kitchen.

A growl was heard and everyone looked around to see the source. Hotaru was blushing furiously with her head down. "I…uh…"

"Getting hungry Hotaru?" Haruka asked. "It's alright. Everyone is about to eat in a while."

"Yeah! I wonder what they're going to serve. I can't wait!" ChibiUsa bounced beside Hotaru.

"I bet it's going to be something delicious." Usagi stated as she began to drool.

"I bet it's going to be something tasty." Mihoshi stated as she also began to salivate.

"Usagi…" Rei started as she pointed a finger at her.

"Mihoshi…" Kiyone also started as she pointed her finger at Mihoshi.

"Don't be such a…" Rei and Kiyone stopped as they noticed they were speaking in unison.

"Does she act like that all the time?" Rei asked Kiyone as she put her finger down.

"It's part of her character so I don't think she can help it." Kiyone replied as she also put her finger down. "I swear she has the body of a grown woman but the attention span of a rodent."

"That's nothing: Usagi has the body of a young woman but the mind of a toddler."

"Wahh! You're so mean Rei!" Usagi bawled.

"I'm sorry Kiyone! Wahhh! It just smelled so good…! Wahhhhh!" Mihoshi joined in.

"Those two definitely have something in common." Haruka said.

"What's that?" Ayelei asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. _That they both can cry on cue?_ She thought to herself.

"They're both tender-hearted and are hurt from the words of those who care a lot for them."

"…and?" Hotaru and ChibiUsa pressed which caused Setsuna to shake her head. The girls looked on as Michiru maneuvered behind Haruka. Everyone else weren't sure as to why they were quiet.

"…and the fact that they both can cry on cue." As Haruka got the last word out, Michiru popped Haruka up side the back of her head, causing laugher to erupt over the sound of Usagi and Mihoshi's crying.

*******

"What on Thundera is all that noise?" Snarf asked aloud to his helpers.

"Well, Usagi started crying…" Makoto started.

"Then Mihoshi started crying…" Sasami added

"Then Haruka started talking…." Makoto began again.

"Then everyone started laughing while Usagi and Mihoshi were still crying." Sasami finished.

Snarf still looked confused so Makoto began again. "Well Snarf from the sound of things, Usagi cried because of something Rei said…"

"…and Mihoshi cried because of something Kiyone said." Sasami picked up.

"Next Haruka began talking and my guess is she said something smart which caused Michiru to hit her or something. That caused everyone to laugh…"

"…and Mihoshi and Usagi are still crying."

"Well I'll be, snarf. You all know your friends very well. They obviously know you all were excellent cooks also. They will love the dishes. Sasami? Would you mind getting everyone seated while we begin taking the food to the table?"

"Sure. I'll be right back." She entered the room and all eyes fell on her. "Snarf sent me to seat everyone. The food is ready to be served."

It was a surprising fit, but everyone managed to sit at the table with amble room for personal space. Sasami went back into the kitchen to help Snarf and Makoto wheel the food out on trays.

The dishes were set in the center of the table so everyone could serve themselves: a giant rice bowl, meatloaf, fresh baked dough, cooked greens, a pot of tea, and a pitcher of juice.

Other dishes that were kept on the cart were bowls of brownish looking noodles, another tray of bread that appeared to be flat, and a weird looking dish that was yellowish in color, but smelled great.

In a matter of seconds, everyone had what he or she wished to eat on his or her plate. Everyone was seated and ready to eat…all except Sasami.

"What's wrong Sasami? Are you not hungry?" Usagi asked with concern. Sasami shook her head no. After doing a quick survey of those around her, Usagi saw that there was an empty place between Bengali and Lynx-O.

"Pumyra isn't here yet. It would be wrong for me to start eating without everyone present who already lives here." The Juraian princess stated.

Tenchi and the others knew Sasami too well, which was why they also had waited like Sasami. Bengali stood up from his place. "Maybe I should go and…"

"…see what's keeping me so long?" Pumyra said as she walked through the door. She kissed Bengali on the cheek and sat down with Bengali's help. "Sorry I kept you all waiting."

"Did you have another pain Pumyra? You had us worried earlier." Ayelei asked. She noticed WilyKit and Kitara bite their bottom lips as she asked Pumyra is she was okay. Before she could ask, she got her answer.

"Another pain? Pumyra! Why didn't you tell us? You know how important it is that you…" Tygra was saying but was drowned out by Snarf as realization hit him.

"By Jaga Pumyra! Is that why you are late getting here? I knew I shouldn't have let you wonder around by yourself. What if you go into labor while you're alone? Or what if…?"

During his rant, Bengali also began the game of 21 questions. "Did this pain hurt more? Are you sure you want to eat now? Do you want to lie down? Do you want me to bring you something to eat? Pumyra? Do you want…"

_[Soon the night shall fall and the forgotten will arise once again.]_ A gasp came from Kitara as she heard the voice in her head. Another came from Ayelei, who was sitting across from her, when she saw Kitara's eyes glowing a light yellow color.

"What's wrong with…whoa!" Ryoko yelled as she too saw the Kitara's glowing eyes.

"Kita! Kita! Are you okay?" Cheetara shook her sister.

She shook her head for a moment then her eyes returned to their natural color. "Didn't you hear it Cheetara?"

Cheetara looked at her confused. "No I didn't."

"No one did but me?" She asked as she looked around the table. Everyone present shook their head.

"What did you hear Kita?" WilyKit asked.

[Soon the night shall fall and the forgotten will arise once again.] Everyone looked at her with confusion in their eyes. "What? That's what I heard! I'm not making it up…"

"We believe you Kita…it's just that we didn't understand what you said." Michiru said.

Realization hit her. "It happened again, didn't it?" She asked her sister. Cheetara nodded her head.

"What did?" Kiyone asked.

Kita looked disturbed so Tygra decided to explain. "You see the language we speak now is basic throughout the universe. On Thundera, as it is with other planets, we have an ancient tongue which is taught while one is still young. Every other generation, there is an individual born with the ability to speak the ancient language, but…

"I'm not always aware when I'm speaking it!" Kitara said in frustration.

Panthro picked up where Tygra left off. "We all know the basis of reading, writing, and speaking ritual words. That is what we have adapted from the ancient tongue. Kitara here has been able to enunciate our language since she was about three or four. When she spoke she would mix her basic with ancient and not be aware of when she was doing it."

"Kind of like how you guys have been doing." WilyKat stated.

"Well what have we been doing?" Rei asked with a curious eyebrow.

"Well, first when we were in Ryo-Ohki, Venu…er Mina had said something to Ryoko that sounded weird. It think it was something like _**aritamato**_."

Mina started laughing at his pronunciation. "You mean _**arigato**_?"

"That was it!" _Where have I heard that word before?_ He thought to himself.

"Arigato means 'thank you' in Japanese."

"Say, isn't Hachiman Japanese?" WilyKit asked her brother.

_Of course! Hachiman! That's who I heard it from!_ WilyKat thought triumphantly to himself.

"Who's Hachiman?" ChibiUsa asked.

WilyKit's eyes seemed to grow big at the mention of Hachiman. "Oh where do I start? He's this cool guy with a unique sword called the 'Thundercutter' and he can…"

"Let's save that story for another time Kit." Panthro said as WilyKat directed his attention back to Mina; his interest now peeked at the prospect of learning more of Hachiman's native language.

"Okay then. What about _**meana**_ or _**goumin**_?" He asked Mina this time.

"Minna is 'everyone' and gomen is 'sorry'." She easily answered.

"What? How is any of that related with her hearing voices?" Ryoko asked.

"Ryoko, when you speak a language, it comes to you naturally because it is innate. There are even periods in time when an individual will not recall saying certain things out loud in the language that is comfortable." Ami looked in Ryoko's eyes to see if she understood what she was saying.

"Why can't you explain things that simple Washu?" She asked the little scientist.

"It takes the fun out of explaining when you don't use big words."

Kitara was feeling better about the situation, but she was still confused. "Okay I get that I repeated it in Ancient Thundarian. What I want to know is why I was the only person who heard anything?"

"Your sixth sense maybe?" Cheetara suggested.

"If my sixth sense got it then why did yours trigger to it too? And why…"

"That's enough for one night. Eat your food and try to build your energy back up." Lion-O ordered.

"Lion-O, we still don't know what it was she heard. It may be important." Bengali rationalized.

"Soon the night shall fall and the forgotten will arise once again." Everyone looked as Lynx-O spoke. "Is that not the message you received Kitara?"

"Yes it was!"

"How did you know know Lynx-O?" Setsuna asked with curiosity.

"Although I was not born with the gift as Kitara was, I do fully comprehend the Ancient language."

"Did you read her mind and figure out what it meant?" Mihoshi asked with wide eyes.

Lynx-O let out a hearty laugh. "No I did it the old fashion way: Studying."

For a split second Usagi almost lost her appetite. _After all, studying is not something I had in mind, _She thought to herself. Seeing ChibiChibi ready to scoff down food made her even hungrier than she started. "Lion-O's right everyone. Let's eat first and try to make sense of everything later. We wouldn't want all this yummy food to got to waste now would we?"

"Of course you wouldn't." Rei said low but loud enough for everyone to hear. Usagi made a grunting noise but didn't bother to say anything to her friend.

"ITADAKIMOSU!" Everyone, except the Thundercats, said at the same time before eating.

"That is a phrase said in our culture before eating." Ami said when she noticed the Thundercats hadn't touched their food yet. They nodded their heads in understanding as they too began to dine.

_That baka!_ Rei thought to herself of her friend as she continued eating._ It's as if all she ever thinks about is food! What if that message is really important? For all we know the enemy is still watching us eat… _Rei swallowed hard as realization hit her. _Still?!_ A light bulb seemed to go off in Rei's head as she quickly stood up. "I almost forgot!" She suddenly burst out.

Kitara was the only one who knew what she was referring to. "That's right! I nearly forgot too!" She exclaimed as she also stood up.

"Girls please have a seat and calmly explain to us what you mean." Panthro suggested as he saw the calm atmosphere quickly disappear.

"I-I'm sorry. I was going to say something before we began eating…but…I heard that voice and I-I…" Kitara stumbled through her words.

Cheetara stood up and placed calm hands on her shoulders. "It's alright Kitara. Calm down. Here. Let me help you sit down." She coached her sister to her seat. Rei also sat down at the same time.

"Now girls, please explain what has you rattled all of a sudden." Washu suggested.

"Right." Rei began. "When we came from the onset, we felt a…presence of a sort."

"A presence?" Ryoko questioned. "Like a ghost or something?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, no. It was more of an…eerie feeling. Like someone was watching us." Kitara tried to explain. "I think whoever was looking in on us has great powers because my sixth sense got tapped."

Haruka didn't like where this was going. "The last time you got an 'eerie feeling' was when Mumm-ra was about to attack." She directed to Rei.

"No doubt if it was Mumm-ra. He's spied on us in the past so I wouldn't put it past him to try it now. Especially since we've made new allies." Tygra pointed out.

Tenchi let out a dishearten sigh. "More questions and no answers I guess." He asked in a gloomy tone and a sad smile.

"I'm afraid so my friend." Lynx-O sadly agreed as he heard the heartache in Tenchi's voice.

"Well that bag of bones isn't going to make a scary-cat out of me!" Panthro proclaimed. "Thanks for letting me know girls. I'll make sure the defenses are on high for the Lair."

"The same goes for the Tower also!" Snarfer piped up as he waved his spoon, causing some food to hit Snarf in the face.

"Ohhh, Snarfer!" He wiped away at his face with the back on his hand…er paw.

"Oops. Sorry Uncle Snarf." He said with a smile on his face.

Lion-O looked around the table as the worry tension began to disappear once again. "How's a proper tour of Cats' Lair sound after the meal?" He asked their guests.

"Ohh I capt waift!" Mihoshi said with a mouthful of food.

"Chew your food Mishoshi!" Kiyone screamed.

"Sowwy…" She swallowed her food as Kiyone glared at her again. "Sorry. I said 'I can't wait'!"

Laughter went around as the meal went on without another glitch.

An hour or so later…

"And this is my baby: the Thundertank." Panthro said proudly beside his prized possession.

"Whoa…" Haruka trailed off as she ran her hand across the sides.

"The craftsmanship is wonderful on it." Kiyone said to Panthro.

"And it's made wonderfully for acceleration and moving across rough terrain." Haruka added on.

"Why thank you." Panthro bowed at their praise.

"Well what do you know? Someone else who shares Haruka's love for vehicles." Michiru mused out loud.

"Oh…I guess this concludes the tour of the Lair?" WilyKat asked aloud.

"Guess so." WilyKit agreed with him.

"It's gotten pretty late. We'll be heading back to the Tower of Omens now." Lynx-O announced as he boarded the Thunderstrike followed by Snarfer.

Bengali gave Pumyra a kiss on her forehead as he placed his hand on their unborn child. "Be sure to notify the Tower if…"

"I will. Go now." She ushered him after he bent down to kiss her stomach. One final peck on the lips and he jumped into the Thunderstrike. Using his tail, Snarf punched in the code to open the hanger.

"You all be careful now, snarf." He purred beside Lion-O.

"We will Uncle Snarf." Snarfer waved his tail at the older snarf.

As they were heading out, the three holders raised their fists. "Thundercats…"

"…Ho!" The remaining Thundercats also raised their fists as the Thunderstrike disappeared from existence.

"What was that all about?" Ryoko asked as she levitated over the Thundertank.

"Ha ha. That is something we do in our culture." Tygra laughed as he explained.

A yawn from ChibiChibi ceased all laugher as eyes diverted to her. "You must be tired." Makoto said as she lifted the little girl in her arms.

"It's been a long day. I suggest we all get to bed." Lion-O suggested.

"I'll take watch for tonight." Panthro volunteered as they passed by the control room.

"'Night Panthro. I'll take over after my morning run is done." Cheetara waved at the panther before the doors to the room closed.

"You run Cheetara?" Haruka asked with curiosity.

"Every day!" She stated proudly. "I'd usually run later but when I have morning watch duty, I get up and run at sunrise."

"Kiyone! She gets up early just like you!" Mihoshi pointed out to her partner. "Say? Why don't you run with Cheetara in the morning?"

"Wha…? I mean…I don't want to impose…" Kiyone slightly stammered at Mihoshi's sudden need to volunteer her.

"Sure! Why don't you run with us?" Kitara asked which caused WilyKit to look her confused.

"I thought you would be sleeping in until your punishment is lifted?" She smiled at her friend.

"I have to do combat training. Panthro never said I was confined to the Lair." Kitara said matter-of-factly.

"You forget its Panthro we're dealing with, …" WilyKat added on with a glum face.

"What did you do to get into trouble with **him**?" Ayelei asked both of them

"We sorta both damaged WilyKats' spaceboard a little while ago." Kitara rubbed the back of her head.

"How?" ChibiUsa asked.

"Long story." The three Thunderkittens said at once.

"Mom? I want to go with them." Ayelei nearly demanded of Washu.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Washu asked seriously.

"Asking of course!" She tried to look as cute as she could.

"Nice try. I'll think about it…" She turned her head from her youngest daughter and kept walking.

_Yeah right. More like 'maybe next time Ayelei'._ She thought gloomily as she trailed behind.

"Well I wouldn't mind running also if you don't mind more company." Haruka suggested.

"Of course! The more the merrier!" Cheetara smiled at her.

"But Cheetara?" Pumyra called her name with firmness. "I thought I was going to run some tests on you in the morning. I can't if you're running then doing watch duty until later on in the evening."

Tygra place comforting hand on the puma's shoulder "That's okay Pumyra. I'll relieve Panthro while you run the proper tests on Cheetara." Looking at Cheetara, "That alright with you?"

"Sounds like a plan to me. 'Til morning then?" She bid everyone goodnight before everyone retired to their own rooms; but not before taking her eyes off Tygra for a few more seconds.

* * *

"They are sooo in love!" Minako flopped down on her bed.

"What are you going on about now Mina?" Makoto asked as she pulled her covers back.

"Tygra and Cheetara! They're crazy about each other I just know it!" She practically squealed with delight.

Makoto looked over at Ami to make sure Mina's loudness didn't wake her up. "Easy! You're gonna wake up Ami."

"Sorry. I just can't help it!" She hugged her sides as her grin widened.

Makoto just shook her head at her friend. "Whether they are or not it's none of our business. They'll come out and tell everyone they're an item in time but in the meantime…" She stretched before pulling the covers over her head, "…don't meddle." Her muffled warning rang from under her blanket.

Stretching also, Mina climbed into bed. "I know…but…I can't wait to see…how it all…works…out." With that, she was out like a light.

* * *

Usagi smiled at the peaceful sight in front of her: ChibiUsa slept with ChibiChibi in her arms as kitten Diana slept on her pillow. On the opposite side of the room, Rei had her face into pillow.

After a few more seconds, she lay down on her back. Not trying to think of the battle that was yet to come, she allowed her mind to lull her to sleep with the one thought she knew always worked. _Mamaru…my love…_

* * *

"Setsuna-mama?"

Setsuna opened her eyes to see Hotaru's violet ones staring at her.

"What's wrong?" She sat up to be eye level with her 'daughter'.

"What are we going to do about…"? A soft hand to her lips silenced her.

"We'll worry about that tomorrow. Why don't you go to sleep and rest up for now?" She suggested.

"Um…" Hotaru blushed and looked to the ground. Setsuna just smiled at her innocence.

"Here." She pulled her covers back. "Why don't you sleep with me? Just for tonight?"

"Oh…okay." Hotaru slid in bed and allowed Setsuna to hold her as she did when she was younger. _I missed this…when you were gone._ Hotaru thought to herself as the sounds of her 'mother's' heartbeat lulled her to sleep. Little did she know that Setsuna missed her 'little girl' while she was gone also.

* * *

"Hotaru just went to sleep." Michiru stated.

Haruka tilted her head so she could look at Michiru. "How do you know?"

"Because silly, I know our daughter." She giggled as she laid her head back on Haruka's chest. She sighed slightly before speaking again. "I can't believe you agreed to get up early in the morning."

"Why can't you?" Haruka asked with a little humor in her voice.

"You really want me to recall all the many mornings I've had to struggle to get you out of bed?"

"Not really." Haruka nearly snorted.

"Just be careful love." Michiru said as sleep began to overtake her.

Kissing the top of her head, Haruka replied with an "I will" before drifting off to sleep also.

* * *

_Why do I always get stuck like this!_ Kiyone thought as she pulled the pillow down harder on her head. The snoring from her partner is nothing unusual, but for some odd reason, it seemed louder than usual. _Must have been from something she ate…_ She rationalized as she attempted to drown out the irritating noise. _Oh well. I guess it's better me than Ryoko. She would have beat poor Mihoshi to a pulp._ Smiling at the comedy of the thought, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

For the past twenty minutes or so now, Ayeka would wake up to make sure Sasami was still laying next to her. _Of course she is Ayeka. She is not going anywhere…_ She silently berated herself.

"Are you well Ayeka-sama?" She looked up to see her two wooden guardians surrounding both she and Sasami.

"I am. Please, the both of you rest peacefully." She smiled at them.

"As you wish." They both turned their backs to them to resume their posts/resting.

_As Tsunami is my witness, I will do everything in my power to protect you Sasami._ She silently swore as she closed her eyes for the umpteenth time.

* * *

"This is childish Mom. Go ahead to sleep." Ayelei stared at Washu as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and folded her legs under her bottom.

Washu merely duplicated the motion. "You go to bed first." She challenged her daughter.

"Mom…"

"Ayelei…"

"Why won't you go to sleep?" Ayelei eyed Washu with curiosity.

Humph. "Like you don't already know. If I close my eye for a second you'll be into some mischief with Ryoko."

Washu figured it was the right answer since Ayelei added more diction to her voice. "She's suppose to share a room with us anyway." Ayelei stated in a straightforward tone.

Washu raised a short eyebrow at her "You know? She barely sleeps in her own room at home." Washu pointed out. "She probably found a beam of some sort and crashed there." She tried to reason with her youngest daughter.

"Think so?" Ayelei dragged out. She was really sleepy but she wanted to see if Washu would crack before she did.

_She's really going to try and stay up just to prove a point?_ Washu thought to herself._ Either that or she's trying to grow up too fast._ A thought occured to Washu as she thought of a way to get Ayelei to 'sleep' before she did. "You know? The earlier you go to sleep, the easier it will be for you to get up in the morning." Washu began coaxing her daughter.

Intrigued, Ayelei uncrossed her arms. "You'd actually let me go?" She surveyed her suspiciously.

"Well I do know you like to participate in physical activities despite the advantage you have over others. Besides, it's not as if you'll be alone. But I guess if you're not up for the challenge…"

_Damn she tricked me!_ Ayelei thought as she let out a deep sign. In a defeated tone,"Night Mom…" she bid as she climbed under the covers.

"Goodnight dear." Washu said as she tried not to sound too smug.

_And goodnight Ryoko._ Washu said mentally to Ryoko through their link.

_Yeah you too…_ Ryoko replied as if she didn't care.

"Those are my girls for you." Washu thought disheartening of the one child she did not have the privilege to say goodnight to: her son. _No need crying over spilt milk…_ She thought sadly to herself as sleep began to claim her.

* * *

"Damn Washu! Always popping in my head unannounced…" Ryoko grumbled to herself as she looked up at the sky. After all, the head of Cats' Lair seemed like the best place to relax alone. "Well it isn't home, but I guess it'll do for now." She patted Ryo-Ohki atop her head as the cabbot slept soundly on Ryoko's stomach. "Hmm…what a lost cause." She smiled maternally at Ryo-Ohki. Casting her eyes up once more, she closed her eyes as the stars on Third Earth danced around her.

* * *

"There is never a dull moment around them…" Tenchi mused to himself at the situation. One moment, everyday was going along normal, he meets all these wonderful people, learn his family history, fight this evil person, meet more people on his mother's side, find out his 'cousin' Seina is next in line to the throne after him, get acquainted with his 'daughter' Mayuka, then Washu's **other** daughter shows up, and now they are all in the future trying to prevent these evil beings from taking over the world.

"Wow. These things can be too much for someone who wasn't use to the excitement." He again tried to muse at the irony of the situation.

His mind then went back to a conversation he had with Ayelei when she first came to live with the family. Well, it wasn't so much as the conversation he remembered, but the one phrase she said to him that constantly replayed:

"_**You know?" She looked at him to make sure she had his undivided attention.**_

"_**Uh…yeah?" He asked, not too sure what to expect from her.**_

_**Sighing, she stood up and walked toward the front door. For a moment, he assumed she just changed her mind or maybe forgot what she was going to say. Both theories went out the window as she turned to him after slipping on her shoes. "You know…you'll have to make a choice eventually." She looked at him with stern yet sad eyes at the same time. Bowing lowly toward him, she exited the home before he had a chance to question why she said just that.**_

"_**You'll have to make a choice eventually… You'll have to make a choice eventually… You'll have to make a choice eventually…"**_

"You know Ayelei? I think eventually just got a little closer…" He said to himself as he closed his eyes for the night's sleep.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to get Tygra or Snarf?" Kitara asked Pumyra as she placed a wet cloth over the puma's head.

"I am. It's just a little upset stomach. Nothing to worry about." She smiled at the younger Thunderian.

Kitara, on the other hand, looked at her unconvinced. "I thought you were too far along for morning sicknesses."

"It varies from individuals. I think I just ate too much and, as a result, got a big stomach ache." She again tried to reassure the young lady. "You should be getting to bed. Are you not running in the morning with Cheetara and the others?"

"Well yeah but what about you…?"

"I'm fine." Pumyra gently cut her off.

"If you're sure. Goodnight." She shrugged her shoulders and slipped into her own bed across the room.

"Goodnight Kita."

As Kitara drew the covers over her head, she could have sworn she heard Pumyra wince in pain. _No. She will let us know if the cub is ready._ She convinced herself as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright Kit?"

"For the fifth time Kat yes. Go to sleep…" WilyKit spoke into her pillow.

"I just think you should go with Cheetara for a check up also to be sure everything is alright."

"And I think you should really go to sleep." WilyKit sat up and looked at him. "Really? Do you want Panthro or worse- Snarf to come in and see that we're still up?"

"No. But I do want to know if you're absolutely certain you're okay." He looked directly at her.

WilyKit rolled her eyes in the back of her head. Clearly he wasn't going to let her sleep if she didn't answer him. "Okay. So I was a little…scared but everybody is fine so I'm not worried anymore." She said honestly.

"Why didn't you just say you were fine in the first place?" WilyKat joked before he dodged a pillow WilyKit threw at him. He threw the pillow back at her, which she didn't have time to dodge.

"Snarf! Are you two kittens still awake?" Snarfs' voice rang behind the door.

"Goodnight Snarf!" They both laughed silently as they heard the old snarf muttering to himself about 'nobody cares about old snarf'.

"Night Kit."

"Night Kat."

* * *

"What's the matter Snarf?" Lion-O asked as Snarf found his way to his normal sleeping spot.

"WilyKit and WilyKat were still awake when I walked past their doors. By the way Lion-O, why aren't you asleep?"

"Guess I didn't really feel like sleeping much." He lay back and put his hands behind his back. "Thanks to Mumm-ra, we now have two new enemies to deal with. I feel we are up for a long fight this time Snarf." He said truthfully to his old companion.

"So long as you have the Sword of Omens and the other Thundercats, you can't lose. Also, you've got some new allies with great power." Snarf said optimistically.

"It's not that I doubt anyone Snarf. Their targets were children. Clearly they are more ruthless than anything we've ever faced before. I just don't want anyone to sacrifice themselves is all."

"Well, no sense in pondering what's going to happen tomorrow. I suggest you take your own advice and get some sleep." Snarf yawned and curled up in a ball.

"You're right. Thanks Sn…" Before he had a chance to say his thanks, the old snarf was already snoring.

"Ha ha. Goodnight Snarf." Lion-O stretched before closing his eyes also.

* * *

"Tygra? What's wrong?" Cheetara asked drowsily as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Just checking on you." He smiled lovingly at her.

"I'm fine. A little tired, but fine." She said honestly.

"I also wanted to make sure you were going to Pumyra after your morning run." He said as he maneuvered between her doorframe.

"I had every intention of going." She smiled at him also. Sighing ever so slightly she leaned into his chest. "You really shouldn't have come in here so late."

She heard a slight chuckle in his voice. "It's not as if everyone doesn't already know…" He looked down at her. "I believe Mina suspects something also."

"What makes you think that?" She asked him curiously.

"She has the same coy look on her face Kitara gets when she knows something someone else doesn't."

"Speaking of Kitara, I should get back to bed so she doesn't have to wake us up in the morning."

Tygra cracked a grin as she looked at him mischievously. "Wake **us** up?"

"Don't worry. I'll wake you up so you can relieve Panthro for watch duty." She reached behind him to hit the pad on the wall; closing the door behind him.

"Sounds like a plan to me…" He cupped her face in his hands before kissing her tenderly.

* * *

"Those two…" Panthro laughed to himself as he saw the door to Cheetara's close. "If they're happy, I'm happy." He thought fondly of his two dear friends.

For a split second, his mind went back to a young girl he cared for a long time ago._ That's odd. I haven't thought about her since before Thundera was destroyed._ He thought to himself._ I guess the odds of her surviving are one in a million._ Quickly brushing the memory out of his head, he was again focused on the monitors that showed him Third Earth. "Watch duty first; reflections later."

* * *

"Are you telling me that two mere women defeated Mumm-ra?" Luna squealed from her spot on Amuk's neck.

"Stop your screeching woman." Slithe barked at the small Lunataks. "It is as I said: One was a young woman and the other was a child."

"How do you know for certain?" Alluro said from Luna's left.

"Yeah. How do we know you aren't yanking our chains?" Chilla spat from Luna's right.

"Arwk! Because, I placed a special viewing device inside the tomb before we left. We were able to see everything that happened to them." Vultureman squawked.

"Hoo hoo. We even saw how they made the Thundercats and their new allies flee." Monkian added on.

"Prove it!" Tug Mug challenged.

Jackalman took out a small disc and threw it to Red-Eye. "See for yourselves." Jackalman stared at him.

"We shall see." Red-Eye hissed as he placed the disc into the console. The Lunataks looked on in amazement as they watched from the rescue attempt to Mumm-ra's humiliation.

"Interesting." Luna inquired. "What brings you here Mutants?" She quickly questioned.

"I propose an…alliance of sorts. Between the allies the Thundercats have formed and those two beings, I think that we could be beneficial to each other." Slithe said cunningly.

"You mean you want us around to protect your stinkin' hinds?" Chilla accused.

"Think what you want! I say that we have more power in strength. If you were smart at all you'd join with us." Slithe hissed out.

"What makes you think we'd trust you bunch of misfits?" Tug Mug stood beside Alluro as Red-Eye stood beside Chilla.

"I say we attack them now while their guard is down!" Luna stated with high spirits. "It doesn't matter how many allies they have. We have the element of surprise!" She gripped her ridding crop strongly.

"Arwk! Ignoramus! We have fought with the other beings and they have unique powers that easily overpowered our machines. Why else do you think we would even consider working with the likes of you!"? Vultureman screeched.

"Pathetic mutants! No one invited you here to plead your case to us. We will take care of the Thundercats, their allies, and these two new beings!" Red-Eye announced.

"Besides," Alluro began "what are two females compared to the Lunataks?" He grinned as the chauvinistic words came from his lips.

"Then you are all truly fools…" The uncanny voice of Ti'ria echoed throughout Skytomb.

"Who dares breaks into Skytomb!" Luna demanded as they all took up battle formations. "Show yourself!"

"As you wish…" A dark mist appeared as they all saw the young woman from the video appeared with the girl. "I come here to give you all two choices: One; join me voluntary or Two; involuntary." She looked at all of them with a serious expression. She let out a dry laugh. "My aren't you all a serious bunch. Don't everyone volunteer at one time."

"No one orders the Lunataks around!" Luna hissed as everyone prepared to fire at them.

"That goes for the Mutants also!" Slithe hissed as they too took on arms.

"You find this humorous Ti'shina?" She looked over at the smiling girl.

"At the irony of it all my lady. Their efforts will be for nothing and they will still serve you."

"Then…I'll leave them to you." She smiled at the girl stepped forward.

"FIRE!" Luna and Slithe screamed at the same time at fires rang from each individual.

"You are all indeed fools…" Ti'shina said as her entire eye went black.

Ti'ria merely smiled at their impending doom. _Rest now beings of Third Earth. For tomorrow begins my reign of nightmares!_ She laughed out loud as Ti'shina worked her sorcery over the two teams.


	27. Chapter 27

"Is everyone ready?" Cheetara asked her group as they finished up their stretches.

"Yip!" Kitara said as she jumped from the top of the stairs to the bottom.

Haruka and Kiyone walked toward the cheetahs when Ayelei suddenly appeared on the ground beside Kitara.

"Good! I didn't miss you all…" She said in a relieved tone.

"You look like you were rushing." Kitara smiled at her new friend.

"Well, I was sleeping so good it was a little hard to get up." She said as her cheeks held a slight tint.

"Well you made it. That's what's important." Kiyone smiled at the younger girl.

"What do you all say we get going?" Haruka suggested as the sun began to rise.

"I'll go on ahead. Kita? Stay on the path I have marked." Cheetara kindly ordered.

"Understood." She nodded her head at her elder sister. She couldn't contain the smile she had plastered on her face. _They're not going to believe what they are about to see._ Kitara thought to herself.

"Are you sure Cheetara? I mean we'll be right behind you…won't we?" Kiyone asked in a not-too-sure tone.

"Just stick together and Kitara will show you the rendezvous point. See you all in a few." She winked before taking off in breakneck speed.

"Whoa…" The other three runners said in unison.

"Unreal…" Haruka commented as Cheetara began to disappear in the distance.

"Hmm…" Kitara cocked her head as if confused.

"What is it?" Ayelei asked.

"She's normally faster than that." _She must still be tired._ She rationalized to herself.

"You mean she can go faster than that?" Kiyone exclaimed, almost regretting to join the run.

"Yeah, but let's get going. She's already far ahead of us." Kitara said before setting off into a sprint.

"Let's go." Haruka said as the other two began following behind her.

* * *

"They made it here a lot quicker than I anticipated." Cheetara chuckled from her spot on a tree branch. She straddled the branch as her back rested against the trees' trunk. In the front was Kitara being followed closely by Haruka. A few feet behind her, Kiyone and Ayelei were trailing.

Upon seeing Cheetara, Kitara picked up speed. When she reached the tree, it appeared she was going to run up it. Instead, she took about two steps up the trunk and vaulted backwards to the branch. Upon grabbing it, she used the momentum from the jump to swing her body over the thick branch. With great agility, she positioned herself to straddle the branch also. Leaning back, she laid her head in Cheetara's lap. Slightly panting from the adrenaline, she looked up at her sister. "Been here long?" She asked in one breath.

Cheetara couldn't hold in the giggle. "A few minutes." Looking down, she saw Haruka bending over; hands on her knees as if she were searching for air. Kiyone was in a similar position, but she was leaning against the tree for support. Finally, Ayelei was sitting on her knees with her hands on the ground; also searching for air.

_That…was…brutal…_ Ayelei thought between breaths.

"You all okay down there?" Cheetara asked.

"Yeah." They all threw a hand up in unison.

"It's still a few more minutes until complete sunrise. Let's rest and run again then." Cheetara said to the ground. A round of 'okay' went around as they all watched the sun rise together.

* * *

Ryoko watched in much amusement as the five runners eagerly accepted the breakfast. "You all must have run hard this morning. You're acting as if you're practically starving."

"Runners have a high metabolism. What's your excuse for pigging out?" Haruka mocked without making eye contact with Ryoko.

"Why you…"

"Ryoko…" Tenchi and Washu said in unison.

"Humph…fine. Be that way then." She turned her head back to her breakfast.

Before Haruka got the chance to laugh at Ryoko's embarrassment, Michiru elbowed her in the side for joining such a childish ruse.

The Thundercats just looked on at the exchange. "Say?" Snarf began to change the subject. "Where are the little ones?" He asked in reference to ChibiChibi, Diana, and Ryo-Ohki.

"They went to take Panthro his breakfast since he said he was going to continue watch duty 'til after breakfast." Sasami explained.

"They also went to check on Pumyra since she slept in." Makoto added on.

The Thundercats were confused as to how a three year old and two 'felines' could manage such a task.

"Are you sure…" WilyKat started.

"…They can do all that?" WilyKit ended with a skeptical look on her face.

"Diana has a few tricks on her own." ChibiUsa explained.

"Really?" The twins asked in unison.

"It really comes in handy at times." Hotaru added on.

"That's great! So does Ryo-Ohki." Sasami joined in.

"You mean besides turning into a spaceship?" Tygra smiled.

"I can't wait to see what else they can do." Lion-O commented aloud.

"Why don't you see for yourself." All eyes turned to Pumyra as she emerged into the room. Behind her were ChibiChibi, a humanoid Ryo-Ohki, and human Diana- plus a tail.

"Um…good morning." Diana said as members of the opposite teams stared from her to Ryo-Ohki.

"Cute." Setsuna said for the first time at the table.

"Absolutely adorable." Cheetara also added.

"I thought you would think so." Pumyra smiled at her friend.

While everyone was talking about how 'cute' they were, they all found their way to their seats. Pumyra sat beside Bengali; ChibiChibi sat between Usagi and Ami; Ryo-Ohki sat between Sasami and Mihoshi; and Diana took her seat between ChibiUsa and Mina.

"I guess that would explain the extra chairs." Snarf commented aloud.

After a few 'exchanges' between Rei and Usagi, Kiyone at Mihoshi, and the occasional banter between Ryoko and Ayeka, breakfast was completed. It was then decided that after the Thundercats were done with their daily rounds, everyone would meet at the council room to come up with a game plan.

* * *

"That's your plan?" Ryoko floated over the council table. "Just sit around and wait for them to attack us?" She looked from Lion-O to Tygra.

"Believe me, I don't like it any more than you Ryoko." Panthro started. "But it would be reckless to start looking for them without knowing what they are capable of."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. "What about you guys?" She said to the senshi group. "They sure as heck seem to know about you all."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked.

"Yeah!" ChibiUsa piped in. "What do you mean they know about us?"

"Please allow them to explain girls." Setsuna suggested kindly to the younger girls.

"I forgot. You three and the others were passed out when those two beings emerged." Rei began. "They said that they 'could sense' that we were people of the White Moon."

"It still doesn't make any sense. I have no past memory of an enemy such as them." Usagi said aloud.

"Don't dismiss what the youngest one said." Haruka started.

"About what?" Usagi asked.

Haruka raised an eyebrow at how she could forget such important information. "Only about how she could tell you were the heir to the Serenity line." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh…" Usagi looked down, slightly embarrassed.

Tenchi meekly raised his hand to be acknowledged. "Um…I'm sorry but could you guys explain some things to me."

"I must say I am a bit confused as well. What do you mean by a past memory?" Ayeka asked of Usagi.

"Well…um…you see…" Usagi started but was cut off by Ayelei.

"Maybe they meant a time in the Silver Millennium before you all were born." Ayelei voiced aloud.

Washu nodded her head in agreement with Ayelei. "That would take account for how none of you remember anything about them." She added on. Tenchi and his company looked at Ayelei and Washu with slightly shocked and bewildered expressions.

"Hmm…it is possible. Seeing as how they knew who you were as Sailor Moon." Tygra also imputed to Usagi.

Bengali, Pumyra, Lynx-O, Snarfer, Snarf, Ryoko, Tenchi, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Ryo-Ohki all held faces as if they were being left in the dark about something.

"I have no idea what you all are going on about!" Ryoko exclaimed aloud.

"Don't be rude!" Ayeka looked up at her.

"Says you! Don't tell me you aren't feeling left out of the conversation too?" She looked the Jurian princess square in the eyes.

"I…well…" She slightly stammered.

"Umm…Kiyone? What is everyone talking about again? I don't understand?" Mihoshi asked her partner.

Kiyone just shook her head. "Neither do I Mihoshi…" She trailed off.

"That's right! We met the senshi first and the others were trapped in the pyramid together. That's why Tenchi and the others don't know." WilyKat concluded.

"Don't know what?" Pumyra asked as more questions began to circle around the group.

"If I may…" Lynx-O spoke for the first time. Hearing everyone silent, he began to speak. "It seems to me that there are a lot of questions but many do not make sense to others. My guess is if they know about our senshi friends here, then they may already be learning things about the rest of us." He allowed that thought to sink in.

"Really? Well, what else do you think Lynx-O?" Snarfer asked.

"It may be of benefit if we all told the other teams about ourselves. Even if some have heard it already." He kindly suggested.

_Ha ha! That's Lynx-O for you!_ Bengali thought proudly of the elder lynx.

"I believe that would be beneficial also." Lion-O agreed with him.

"I'll start." Usagi volunteered.

"Then I will go." Lion-O stated.

"I guess that leaves me last." Tenchi gently smiled while scratching his head.

"I suppose I'll start with the Silver Millineum…" Usagi began her story for the second time on Third Earth.

* * *

"…and well, that's how we ended up here." Tenchi finished telling his story.

The room was quiet. _Too quiet._ Ryoko grumbled to herself. "Well? Somebody say something!" Ryoko voiced aloud this time.

"Do you not have any manners!"? Haruka stood to be eye level with the levitating Ryoko. Michiru gracefully rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as Setsuna sighed lowly.

"H-Haruka-papa?" Hotaru studdered out to the older senshi.

"Ryoko…" Tenchi and Ayeka said in an exasperated tone as they stood.

"Alright everyone. Easy." Bengali also stood up. Although he spoke calm, irritation was written over his face at the childish displays.

"Everyone please? Take your seats?" Cheetara spoke this time. Without hesitation, everyone sat back in his or her seats- save for the floating Ryoko.

_She sure has a way with words._ Rei thought to herself about Ryoko.

"So based on what has happened, this is what I've come up with." Ami began after everyone was quiet. "A few weeks ago, the girls began to have dreams about destruction. I'm assuming the 'destruction' was in reference to the horrible things um…" She looked to her friends for help.

"Ti'ria and Ti'shina" Rei told her.

"Yes Ti'ria and Ti'shina are capable of. Next, the girls are kidnapped by Mumm-ra. He did this because he needed the essence of their minds to make a spell complete."

"But…how would Mumm-ra know to kidnap just these six girls?" Kiyone asked. "Surely he could just as easily grabbed others with special abilities."

"I blame those statue masters of his!" Panthro voiced out.

"Come to think of it, they did speak for a split second. What are they?" Makoto asked.

"They're 'The Ancient Spirit of Evil'." WilyKat answered her.

"And they give Mumm-ra his powers!" WilyKit spoke this time.

"From my understanding, they also give him orders at times." Pumyra inputted.

Lion-O gestured his head to Ami after the questions were answered. "Please continue Ami."

"Next, the abduction of Washu, Cheetara, and Sailor Pluto…er Setsuna." She corrected herself.

"The evil statues said they were a messenger for a source of goodness." Kitara spoke up. "And that they were going to foil Mumm-ra's plan to bring those two beings back."

"Is that the same person who pulled you violently out of your own world and showed you the destruction and talked to you and sent you back?" Mihoshi asked as she ran her questions together.

"I wonder…?" Ayelei looked over at ChibiUsa and Hotaru. "Say? Back at the pyramid, didn't you guys say something about a story Setsuna told you guys?"

"She told us the story of two evil beings torturing the good people." ChibiUsa started.

"Really? What happened to them?" Sasami asked.

"They were trapped in an alternate dimension by a source of goodness." Hotaru answered.

"Setsuna? Can you recall if there is any truth behind the story you told them?" Tygra asked her.

"I'm sorry but I have no way of knowing if they are one in the same. I also have no memory of where I heard the story from." She said in a sad tone.

Minako placed her elbows on the table and cupped her chin with her hands. "I guess that means we're back at square one?" She moved her eyes around the room at everyone. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "It really bites he kidnapped them when the moon was so beautiful. I was just imagining my future husband and kids…" She began mumbling.

"What was that Mina?" Kiyone slightly raised out of her seat.

She slightly blushed. "Well my husband will be handsome and our kids…"

"No, no. Before that." She violently shook her head.

"Oh… about how it really beats that he kidnapped the girls during a full moon…"

"Tenchi?" Kiyone looked at him sternly.

"You're right! We were all looking at a full moon when the girls disappeared into some type of energy field." Tenchi explained.

"Come to think of it, it was a full moon when ChibiUsa and Hotaru disappeared too." Diana spoke up.

"Snarf, snarf. I remember a full moon also if that helps any." Snarf imputed.

"Do you think the full moon is connected to this somehow?" Usagi asked.

"It's possible. Without more evidence we have no way to know if Ti'ria and Ti'shina are linked to the full moon." Bengali stated.

"Or if the full moon was just the terms for Mumm-ra's spell to work." Ami picked up.

"So Mina is right: we're back at square one." WilyKat also placed his elbows on the table.

"There has to be someone on this planet who knows about them…" Ryoko thought aloud. "Since you Thundercats are technically 'alien' here, maybe there are some other people who know about them." The room was once again silenced as everyone looked at Ryoko. "What?"

"That's a great suggestion Ryoko!" Lion-O praised her.

"It is?" She looked at him uncertain.

"He's right. That may not be a bad idea Ryoko." Tygra scratched his chin as he pondered.

"It's not?" Ayelei asked doubtfully.

_That's my little Ryoko for ya!_ Washu silently praised her eldest daughter.

"There are many other cultures who thrive here on Third Earth. Many have been here for several generations; centuries even." Lynx-O added.

"You mean other than the Warrior Maidens, Mumm-ra, and those Mutants?" Rei asked as she counted off on fingers.

"Mumm-ra has been here for centuries. The Mutants, on the other hand, are no more native here than we are. We have been feuding with them since before Thundera was destroyed." Lion-O stated.

"As a matter of fact" Panthro began as he stood up, "why don't you all follow me to the control room?"

Once everyone managed to fit into the control room, Panthro began his demonstration. "For starters, this is a map of Third Earth from Cats' Lair to the Tower of Omens, to Mumm-ra's pyramid. Here is the Warrior Maidens' Treetop Kingdom." He pressed a button for everyone to see the layout. Hitting a key, he zoomed on an area close to the Lair. "Here are our first set of friends we met when we first came to Third Earth: The Ro-Bears." Hitting another key, two Ro-Bears appeared on the screen. "Here are the leaders Ro-Ber-Bill and Ro-Ber-Belle." He described them to the others as he continued his 'mini tour' of Third Earth.

He showed and described to them the Wollows, Bolkens, Turmagar and the Tuska Warriors, Unicorn Keepers, and Mumm-rana. He even showed them other allies such as Snowman and SnowMeow, Mandora, Hachiman, Dr. Dometome and Herky, and Snarfs Eggbert and Oswald. He also ran through some of their enemies: The Lunataks, the Berserkers, Captain Crocker, and Tashi.

"Wow…that's a lot to take in." Tenchi said as everyone once again found their seats in the council room.

"You said it." Minako agreed with him.

"That was a great history lesson and all but we still don't have a plan." Ryoko pointed out.

"I may have a suggestion." Michiru spoke for the first time since the meeting.

"We're all ears Michiru." Cheetara said as everyone listened for her pitch.

"As Ryoko said, there may be others here who have at least heard legends of Ti'ria and Ti'shina. I say we go around and ask your friends how much they know. Any bit of information is better than none at all." She smiled after she finished talking.

"Hmm…it's a long shot, but it's all we've got. I say we go for it. Any oppose?" Lion-O looked around the table as everyone agreed.

"It may be quicker if we all split up." Bengali immediately saw protest written over certain faces.

"I agree. Everyone is to partner up with a Thundercat since they are most familiar with the areas." The senshi all looked at Usagi as she finished speaking. They half expected her to plead for everyone to stay together.

_Well I'll be…_ Rei thought to herself with a kind smile.

_Looks like neko-chan [kitten] is growing up._ Haruka thought as she nodded her head to her princess.

"I guess that means we're splitting up too huh?" Mihoshi asked her group.

"Right you are Mihoshi." Washu acknowledged her. "When do we do this?"

"No better time like the present." Panthro said as he stood up. "I'll take the Thundertank to Hook Mountain. Maybe Snowman has some helpful information. Anyone care to tag along?"

"I'll join you if that's alright." Ami volunteered.

"Count me in too." Makoto said as she stood beside Ami.

"While running this morning a noticed there was an alternate route to the Warrior Maiden's Treetop Kingdom. I could take the Thunderclaw there." Cheetara said.

"I'd like to join you Cheetara?" Usagi spoke. "If we can't find anything out the least I can do is check to see how Nayda is healing."

"I'm in then." Haruka said in a caring tone. Ryoko merely raised an eyebrow when she noticed Michiru didn't consent to go with Haruka.

"Oh! Oh! Let's go too Kiyone!" Mihoshi tugged at Kiyone's sleeve.

"All right! All right! Fine! Just stop pulling on me Mihoshi!" She jerked away from her hyperactive partner.

"I shall pilot the Thunderstrike to see Mumm-rana." Lynx-O stated.

"Is she anything like Mumm-ra?" Washu asked in a curious tone.

"She is anything but." Pumyra stated proudly as she referred to her friend.

"In that case, I'll join you Lynx-O." Washu smiled at the old lynx- even though he could not see her.

"I would also like to meet this Mumm-rana." Setsuna added. She then looked over to her 'daughter'. "Hotaru?"

"Yes. I'd like to join also." She said toward Lynx-O.

"Very well." Lynx-O acknowledged with a smile.

"I can take the Feliner to talk with the Wollows, Bolkens, and Unicorn Keepers." Lion-O stated.

_Unicorn Keepers?_ ChibiUsa thought with awe.

_Since Haruka is going with odango-atama, I guess…_Rei stopped thinking to look at the lion man. "I'm going with you." He acknowledged her with a nod of his head.

"I'll join you Lion-O…"

*umph!*

Everyone watched on as Ryoko 'embraced' Tenchi from behind before he finished his sentence.

"Wha…? Ryoko?"

"I'll join you Tenchi. After all, we can watch each others' backs." She said seductively.

"If you think for a moment I'm leaving you alone with Tenchi you are mistaken Ryoko!" Ayeka stated as she began pulling on the front of Tenchi's robe.

"Let go princess! You've got your logged guardians to protect you." Ryoko hissed at Ayeka.

"Never!" She yelled as she began pulling harder at Tenchi.

"Hey you two! Knock it off! Hey! Ryoko? Ayeka?" Tenchi pleaded with them as neither seemed to hear his request.

"This is getting us nowhere…" Rei grumbled to herself as she felt her temper begin to flare.

"How ridiculous…" Haruka also mumbled under her breath.

_They're so predictable. Oh well, better nip this in the bud before they get physical. _Washu sighed deeply before speaking. "Neither of you are going with Tenchi." Washu said very calm.

"What are you talking about Washu? Of course I'm…"

"Not going with Tenchi. And neither is Ayeka." Washu cut Ryoko off.

"_**Not going with Tenchi?**_ What is the meaning of this Miss Washu?" Ayeka asked as she and Ryoko both let go of Tenchi.

"We are dealing with beings who, from what I've seen, have no problem trying to kill us. We need to deal with them now before they decide to move to our time after they're done with this one."

"As if we don't know that! Where are you going with this Washu?" Ryoko levitated in the air.

"The best way to learn about Ti'ria and Ti'shina would be to interview the Thundercats' friends. If you two were paired with Tenchi, you'd be…would be… Hmmm? What's a fine way to say this?" Washu pondered.

"A big freaking distraction to the mission!" Ayelei pointed out- that caused Ryoko to growl at her.

"Thank you Ayelei. What she said."

"If you don't want us with Tenchi, where do you propose we go?" Ayeka asked.

"You can go with Bengali instead." Washu issued.

"Huh?" Bengali said in reference to his name.

"You were planning on going to a particular destination were you not?" She smiled at him with knowing eyes.

"Well yes and no. The new aquatic machines are still being worked on so we're going to have to find another way to communicate with Dr. Dometome." Bengali pointed out.

"Great. You can take Ryo-Ohki." Washu said as she picked up the humanoid Ryo-Ohki and placed her in Bengali's lap.

"Meyow?" Ryo-Ohki looked confused as she went from Sasami's lap to Bengali's.

"That's right. You can change into a spaceship." Bengali smiled as he tickled Ryo-Ohki under her chin-, which caused her to laugh with delight.

"I would like to join you all if that's alright." Michiru asked with a kind smile on her face. Haruka raised an eyebrow at her 'partner'.

"You sure about that?" She asked Michiru in a hushed tone.

"Of course. We all have to work together after all." She reassured Haruka.

"Hey! Can I go too Ryoko?" Ayelei asked.

_Being volunteered by Washu, separated from Tenchi, and paired with Ayeka isn't enough: I have to baby-sit her too!_ Ryoko thought harshly. "No way! Stay here with the rest of the kids!"

"What? Hotaru is going with Setsuna!" Ayelei pointed out.

Ryoko smacked her lips at her little sister. "Not my problem. Stay here and be good."

Like a plague, the rest of the young ones began asking questions.

"Well we're able bodies also! We can take our spaceboards and look around!" WilyKit piped in.

"Yeah! Where can we go Lion-O?" WilyKat asked.

"I can run along side them. Can I go too?" Kitara also asked their leader.

"Lion-O?" Tygra whispered in his ear. "There is one place we haven't named yet they can safely go to…" He continued whispering to Lion-O.

"You're right Tygra." He complimented the elder tiger. "Okay. Here is your destination Thunderkittens. Since Tygra has agreed to accompany me, I'm assigning you to the Ro-Bear Berbil village."

_Ha! Leave it to Tygra to be the logic of reason._ Cheetara thought dreamily of Tygra.

"But that's not far at all…" WilyKit complained. WilyKat nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I can run there and back within a few minutes." Kitara equally complained.

"Good. That means you kids won't be far from home, snarf snarf." Snarf said in a relieved tone.

"There's a team you can join Ayelei." Ryoko ushered.

"Alright…" She said in a defeated tone.

"Can I go with you Rei?" ChibiUsa asked.

"No." Usagi answered before Rei could. "I need you to stay here and watch over ChibiChibi."

"Can't Diana?" ChibiUsa whined.

"You could stay here and keep Sasami company?" Ayeka suggested.

"But…I wanted to come too." Sasami said in a sad tone.

"I know. But I need to make sure you're here safe and sound. Please Sasami? For me?" Ayeka asked as she placed her hands on Sasami's shoulders.

"Well…okay…"

"That's a girl." She hugged her little sister. "Azaka? Kamidake?"

"Yes Ma'am?" They said in unison.

"You both are to stay here and protect every person in this Lair. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Sasami still held a slightly disappointed look on her face. "You won't be alone dear." Pumyra appeased. "Snarf, Snarfer, and I will stay behind to protect the Lair." That got a bit smile out of her.

"But…what about the Tower of Omens?" Makoto asked. "Who's going to protect it?"

Snarfer stood on his tail and raised his hand. "I'm going to control the Tower from the control room here in Cats' Lair. As of right now, it is on auto defense." He stated.

"Besides, WilyKit, WilyKat, and Kitara are coming straight back when they leave the Ro-Bear Berbil village. Aren't you kids?" Panthro stressed the last part.

"And so is Ayelei." Washu also stressed.

"Yes." They all said in a dry tone.

"Humph! If you didn't want me in the way you could have just said so!" ChibiUsa grumbled to Usagi.

"I don't like the situation any more than you do but I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you and everyone else safe. So just deal with it for now brat!" Usagi said just as cold. She picked ChibiChibi up and walked to ChibiUsa. "Stop moping. I need you to set a good example for her." Usagi ordered as she sat her in her lap.

"Fine…" She said in a defeated tone. A hand atop her head caused her to look up at Usagi.

"Cheer up. We'll be back soon." She reassured her.

"'Kay!" She cheered up slightly.

"Kay! Kay!" ChibiChibi joined in.

"It may be wise to transform before we set off." Ami advised. "At least on your case Usagi. The Warrior Maidens have not seen us in civilian form. It may confuse them."

"Good suggestion." Usagi agreed with her. "Everyone ready?" She said as everyone pulled out her transformation wand.

Usagi. "Moon Eternal Power!" She was now Eternal Sailor Moon

Ami. "Mercury Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Mercury

Rei. "Mars Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Mars

Makoto. "Jupiter Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Jupiter

Minako. "Venus Crystal Power!" She was now Super Sailor Venus

Haruka. "Uranus Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Uranus

Michiru. "Neptune Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Neptune

Setsuna. "Pluto Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Pluto

Hotaru. "Saturn Planet Power!" She was now Super Sailor Saturn

Everyone-save Lynx-O- watched in awe as they went from 'normal' girls to senshi mode.

"A warm light…" Lynx-O noted as they finished transforming.

Even Ryoko had to admit that was a pretty amazing sight; at least to herself anyway. "Eh, nice lights show. Let's get down to the hanger." With that, she teleported down to the hanger.

"Be careful everyone." Diana said as she leapt onto ChibiUsa's head.

"We will. Take care of ChibiUsa and ChibiChibi." Sailor Moon smiled at her.

"Will do." She said as everyone made their way down to the hanger.

Everyone was aboard their choice of transportation when they heard a shrill pierce the air. As they looked on, the spaceship Ryo-Ohki hovered over Cats' Lair. Sailors Pluto and Saturn, Cheetara, Kitara, and WilyKit looked on with excitement; as it was their first time setting eyes upon the spaceship.

"Okay. Everyone is to stay within contact with each other. As soon as each team is done, they are to head back here to Cats' Lair." Lion-O looked at everyone, as they understood what was being said. "Then let's move out! Thundercats…"

"Ho!" The additional Thundercats raised their fists into the air as each vehicle took off in different directions. Bengali, Michiru, Ayeka, and Ryoko were transported onto Ryo-Ohki. In a matter of seconds, they made their way to see Dr. Dometome. Last, WilyKit, WilyKat, Kitara, and Ayelei made their way to the Ro-Bear Berbil village. The twins were riding their boards while Kitara ran and Ayelei flew.

* * *

"Well, there they go." ChibiUsa said as she watched the departure from the viewing screen in the control room.

"Yeah. There they go." Sasami agreed just as sad.

"Snarf, snarf. Cheer up girls. They'll all be back soon." Snarf began.

"Yeah! Uncle Snarf is right! They'll all be back soon. Yip yip yip!" Snarfer spun around in his chair for emphasis. It got a giggle out of ChibiChibi as Pumyra adjusted her on her hip.

"I see she's happy. You girls ought to cheer up. They're only trying to protect you." Pumyra attempted to reassure them.

"Yeah…" ChibiUsa sighed.

"I know…" Sasami also sighed.

"Well, no sense wracking our brains here. I'm going to start on something to eat. You girls can help me if you like." Snarf purred.

"Okay. I'll be there in a bit Snarf." Sasami spoke.

"Alright then." He said before exiting.

Diana-now in cat form again- looked at Pumyra with a worried expression. "Is she too heavy Pumyra? You look like you're in a lot of pain." Hence the strained look on the puma's face.

"No I'm…" She hissed through her teeth as another pain hit her.

"Oh, no!" ChibiUsa ran over to her and gently took ChibiChibi as Sasami helped her sit down.

"Oh snarf! Should I call the others?" Snarfer asked in a paniced tone.

She smiled at them kindly. "That's not necessary. I've had these pains for a while now and they are very much common." She reassured them as she spoke. Indeed, she looked as if she never even felt a tinge of pain a second ago. "As a matter of fact," she stood up from her seat "I should follow Snarf's lead and get some work done."

"Like what?" Diana asked- still atop Sasami's head.

"Well, I ran some tests on Cheetara a little while ago and I'm going to make sure everything comes out alright. I'll be gone for a little while."

"In that case, Azaka and Kamidake can go with you." Sasami ushered to the wooden guardians.

"Sasami? Your sister said…" Pumyra started.

"For them to protect **every person** in the Lair. That means you too!" She smiled as the guardians took their position on each side of Pumyra.

"If you insist. I'll be in the medical room if you all need me."

"'Kay!" ChibiChibi waved her off as she exited the control room.

Somehow, Sasami seemed to brighten up suddenly. "Pumyra and Snarf are right. They are out there trying to protect this planet and us. What do you say we go help Snarf with that meal ChibiUsa-chan?" Sasami asked as she reached out her hand to her new friend.

"Well…I don't know…" She looked down at ChibiChibi first. She just smiled at her with an innocent grin. Looking up at Sasami, she saw Diana still perched on her head. The look in Diana's eyes beckoned her to join Sasami. Taking one more look at Sasami, she suddenly felt just as bright. "What are we waiting for? Let's go Sasami-chan!" She giggled as she allowed Sasami to lead her out the door.

"Bye bye Snarfer!" ChibiChibi waved behind ChibiUsa's head to Snarfer.

"Ha ha! Kids…" Snarfer laughed as he continued watch duty in the control room.

* * *

"This ought to be a blast…" Ayelei commented dryly. Kitara just rolled her eyes to her sarcasm.

"We'd better do what Panthro said and come straight back to the Lair after we're done." WilyKat informed.

"Yeah," WilyKit started "don't want to add on to your punishment anymore do we?" She smiled at him as he cast hard eyes at her.

"Huh?" Kitara stopped running so suddenly she kicked up dirt as she slowed down. _Someone is watching us again._ She thought worriedly. _The aura is worse than last night. I wonder if something happened to Mumm-ra?_

"Hey! Kitara?" Ayelei appeared beside her. "Kitara?" She shook her shoulders.

"Huh?" She looked at her.

"What'd you stop all of a sudden for?" She asked as the twins joined them.

"I just had a bad feeling…" She said, not too sure how else to put it.

"I don't like the sound of that." WilyKat said waywardly.

"Let's get to the village and back. Hopefully one of the teams will have some luck if we can't." WilyKit said as they all began their journey to the Ro-Bear Berbil village.

* * *

"Very interesting." Ti'ria spoke as she looked into her mirror formed of purple and black cloud. She watched on as Kitara and her comrades continued on to the Ro-Bear Berbil village. "Ti'shina?" She called over her shoulder.

"Yes My Lady?" She walked to her.

"Are our new servants ready?" She asked; her back still turned to her.

"They are." Ti'shina turned around momentarily to their 'servants' then back to Ti'ria. "What is it you wish Your Highness?"

A wave of her hand and the image disappeared. With another wave, multiple images come into view. "It appears our new adversaries are attempting to learn about us. I cannot and will not allow such nuisances before the next full moon!" She turned swiftly around to face the younger girl.

"Understood." She bowed to her queen before turning around. "Come forward and kneel before your master." Ti'shina ordered as two lines of five each came before them.

They immediately dropped to both knees and bowed their heads. "What do you wish of us Master?" All ten spoke in unison.

"You all are to split up and take out these enemies." She allowed the 'mirror' to move in front of them. "You will do what is necessary to get rid of them. Do I make myself clear?" She cast cold eyes at them.

"Yes Master!" They all yelled in unison.

"Then be gone with you all!" Ti'shina bellowed as her entire eye went black again. With a wave of her hand, smoke surrounded them. It expanded until every person was no longer visible to the eye. When the smoke cleared, no one was still there except Ti'ria and Ti'shina.

"This test should prove if those worthless Mutants and Lunataks truly merit something."

"What will you have me do now Your Highness?" Ti'shina asked.

"In all due time. Let's see how powerful these pests are, then we shall make our move."

"As you wish." Ti'shina acknowledged with a bow as they continued to watch through the clouded mirror.


	28. Chapter 28

"I see now why they call it Hook Mountain." Sailor Jupiter said to no one in particular. "Too bad Venus decided to watch over the kids at the Lair. She would have enjoyed this."

"Perhaps, but she opted to stay on her own free will. I'm sure she will be quite an asset there in case anything goes wrong."

"We're coming up on Snowman's home." Panthro announced as the Thundertank began to slow down.

Peering ahead of them, Jupiter and Mercury saw a large man standing next to a huge cat. Each passenger exited the Tank one by one. Panthro walked up to the large man and shook hands with him. "Ho! Snowman!" He embraced the larger man. "And Snowmeow too." He reached down and scratched the battle cat under the chin. This got a purr of delight from the great cat.

"Welcome Panthro. I see you do not bring other Thundercats, but beautiful ladies before me." He reached his hand out for Mercury's hand. When she gave him her hand, he bent down and kissed it. The senshi of ice couldn't help but blush. The action was repeated for Jupiter also.

"These are a few of our new allies: Sailors Mercury and Jupiter." He addressed them accordingly.

"I see. What brings you to Hook Mountain my friends?"

"As usual, that mummy bit off more than he can chew. He summoned two powerful beings here from another dimension. We've come here to see if you knew anything about them." Panthro explained.

"I will see. Please, come inside with me my friends." He beckoned as they followed him inside his home.

"Grrrrr…" Snowmeow turned behind them and began growling.

"Huh? What's wrong boy?" Jupiter began patting him. This seemed to calm him down a bit. She looked around but saw nothing. "Come on boy. Let's let Snowman know you're on pins and needles. Better safe than sorry." He complied and began to follow her inside.

In the distance, veiled by snow, Chilla began her descent to the home of Snowman. A black 't' was imprinted over her crescent moon mark. "I will obey my master…" she continued muttering to herself.

* * *

"Nayda! I'm so glad you're alright!" Sailor Moon voiced when she saw Nayda emerge from the trees with Willa. Her arm was still in the makeshift sling, but she was conscious.

She absentmindedly touched her injured arm with the other. "I am very much grateful to you all. I explained to my sister what happened." She motioned to Willa.

"I'm glad to hear it." Sailor Uranus said.

Willa nodded her head. "My sister is right. I am also grateful to you…senshi." She slightly bowed toward them. "I see the boy Tenchi is not with you. As well as the rest of your group." Willa remarked to Kiyone and Mihoshi.

Kiyone nodded her head to the queen before beginning. "Well that's why we're here Willa. We all split up to find out about…"

A yawn from Cheetara caused all eyes to dart to the cheetah woman.

"Boy do you sound sleepy Cheetara!" Mihoshi pointed out. "Do you want to take a nap?" She got a little too close in Cheetara's space for Kiyone's liking.

"Get out of her face Mihoshi!" Kiyone demanded as she pushed Mihoshi away.

"Aw. But Kiyone…" Mihoshi began to whine.

Cheetara chuckled at them. "It's quite alright. It's just from a lack of sleep. After this situation is resolved, I'll sleep like a newborn kitten." She closed her eyes and had a dreamy look on her face.

"Speaking of situation, the other Thundercats and Tenchi were telling me yesterday that you and others were kidnapped. Is this situation related to what happened?" Willa asked.

"In a sense it is." Cheetara answered.

"Why don't you all come up with us to the main hut to talk. You can explain the situation to us and rest at the same time." Nayda suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Lead the way ladies." Sailor Moon smiled.

"Very well. This way everyone." Willa said as they maneuvered to the main hut.

A breeze came across the group that made Sailor Uranus stop in her tracks. _What is this feeling? The wind is restless._ She thought to herself as she looked up through the trees to the obscured sky.

"Hey Uranus! You're falling behind!" Mihoshi pointed out as she waved to the senshi of wind.

"Sorry. I'm coming." She continued following behind them. _The wind has stopped completely…_

"I will obey my master…" Monkian muttered inside his Skycutter. Hanging from the bottom, Alluro also muttered the same chant while holding his Psyche-Club with his free hand. Like Chilla, both had a 't' in the middle of their heads.

* * *

"Interesting. I thought the Silver Millennium was a mere myth. But here before me stands the guardians of Saturn and Pluto. I am honored to meet you both." Mumm-rana bowed her head toward them both.

"Thank you Mumm-rana." Sailor Pluto said as she and Saturn returned the gesture.

"So Mumm-rana? Do you think you may have some information of Ti'ria and Ti'shina?" Washu asked.

"I am truly sorry but I do not." She said regrettably to the foursome. "But, perhaps my 'masters' can help." She said with hope in her voice.

"Masters?" Sailor Saturn repeated.

"Yes in a sense. The Ancient Spirits of Goodness give me power to help the beings of Third Earth. In return, I use that power for righteousness."

"The complete opposite of Mumm-ra I see." Washu said aloud.

Lynx-O was relatively quiet. His ears began twitching in a manner that caused the elder Thunderian to stand at attention. _Odd…_He thought to himself.

"What troubles you Lynx-O?" Mumm-rana asked. The others had also noticed but didn't want to press anything.

"It would appear we have company." He directed toward the exit came in from.

"What are the chances of the company being good?" Washu asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Very slim I'm afraid. It seems they are Lunataks if I'm not mistaken." Lynx-O reported.

"I think we should-" Sailor Pluto was cut off by a blast coming from the 'exit'. Everyone instinctively hit the floor. Mumm-rana merely stood her ground and covered her face.

Debris fell from Washu's hair as she lifted her head. She saw the Lunataks appear as the smoke cleared. The first thing she saw was a dog-like brute. On top of it's head was small woman with a bit mouth. Beside them was a short 'man' with tripod legs. It also appeared he had some sort of cannon over his shoulder. They all repeated the same line over and over again. "I will obey my master…"

"Luna. Amuk. And Tug Mug." Lynx-O gestured to the voices as everyone began to stand up. Pluto, Saturn, and Lynx-O intuitively got into a fighting stance.

_They don't appear to be the types to put up much of a fight._ Washu thought to herself. After further inspection their opponents, she saw the 't' in the middle of their heads. _Then again looks are very deceptive._

* * *

"I'm sorry we couldn't have been more helpful to you all Lion-O." The Unicorn Keeper said in an apologetic tone.

"It's quite alright. The Wollows and Bolkens never heard tell of Ti'ria and Ti'shina. At least you've heard the legend of them." Lion-O said to the elder keeper.

Tenchi nodded in agreement with Lion-O. "Yeah this is good news. From what you've told us, they are practically banished sorceresses who feed on people's worse dreams."

"Indeed. They are much like Mongor in comparison." The Unicorn Keeper said as a young unicorn came over followed by its' mother. The Unicorn Keepers' wife began to inspect the mother as the 'baby' looked on.

"Mongor?" Sailor Mars asked as she recalled the 'show' Panthro displayed for them. " He was the demonic goat-like being that was believed to be the personification of fear here on Third Earth?"

"Correct. He fed on the fears of others and grew larger and powerful with each victim. Thanks to the twins and Lion-O we found his only weakness was for his enemy not to look directly at him. That was the only way to take away his power." Tygra explained.

Mars closed her eyes as she concentrated on the information. Her alone time with her thoughts was cut short as the young unicorn began neighing and nudging her. "Um…what is it doing?" She asked the Unicorn Keepers.

The Unicorn Keepers' wife merely laughed and walked over to it. As she patted it on the head, it looked up at her and neighed. "This little one is wise beyond its' years. It senses you have been alarmed concerning the two evil ones."

"A baby unicorn can sense all that?" She smiled as she patted it on the head. "It's true. Every since arriving here on Third Earth, I've had very disturbing visions about the evil they are capable of." She explained while continuing to bet the baby unicorn. "Each vision gets worse and worse. It is very consuming at times."

"You're not the only one who's feeling that way. It's slowly beginning to affect everyone." Tenchi said as he lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Is there anything else in particular you can tell us about them?" Lion-O asked the Unicorn Keepers.

"It is said that the evil ones place their symbol upon their victims." The Unicorn Keepers' wife told them as she finished inspecting the mother unicorn.

"Victims?" Tygra repeated.

"Yes." The Unicorn Keeper nodded. "Those who oppose them fall victim to their power and become their slaves."

"Huh?" Mars suddenly stood up and turned around. The mother unicorn stood protectively beside its' baby as it began neighing in displeasure. "You feel it too girl?" She placed a calm hand on the mothers' mane.

"What's going on Mars?" Tenchi asked as the Thundercats too went into a defensive posture. The sword that hung from Lion-O's side began to 'growl' and shine bright.

"It appears we have company. The Sword of Omens just growled; meaning danger is on the way." Lion-O explained.

"You both should take the unicorns and get someplace safe. I doubt this is going to be pretty." Tygra suggested as he took out his bolo whip.

"Be safe my friends." The Unicorn Keeper said as he ushered the mother unicorn to follow him.

"Come with us little one." His wife said to the baby. With one final nudge to Mars it followed the keepers to catch up with its' mother.

"I sure do hope that nudge meant 'good luck' in unicorn." Mars said as two figures made their way into sight.

"Red-Eye and Slithe? What business do you two have here?" Lion-O demanded as he pointed the Sword of Omens at them. Instead of answering, they merely walked forward chanting what their colleagues had been uttering. "Master?"

"Look at the symbol on their heads Lion-O!" Tenchi pointed out. "You think that's the symbol the keepers were telling us about?" He asked as he took out his sword.

"It appears so. Be on guard everyone." Lion-O warned as their adversary stalked closer.

* * *

"Well this was a complete waste of time." Ryoko expressed her opinion as she crossed her arms and sat indian style.

Ayeka quickly shot her head up at the levitating woman. "Have you no manners Ryoko?! Don't be so rude!"

"So you're saying you aren't irritated we came all the way out here by the ocean just to leave empty handed?" She stared hard at the princess.

"Of course I'm disappointed, but you do not have to expression it in such an irate manner." She turned on her heels to face Dr. Dometome. "I do apologize for Ryoko's behavior." She bowed to the elder man.

"It's quite alright dear. Considering what you all have just told me, I'm not surprised you all aren't as mad as she is."

Bengali stood beside Ayeka as Dr. Dometome spoke. "Sure we're disappointed but I have faith that at least one of the other teams discovered some useful information. Thank you for everything Doctor."

"My pleasure. I shall take me leave now. Bengali? Do be sure to tell the Thunderkittens to pay me a visit sometime? Herky misses them." He smiled.

"I will."

"Good day to you all." He waved as he climbed aboard Herky. "Let's go home boy." He operated the robotic frog back into the ocean.

Ryoko craned her neck to observe Neptune standing at the edge of the beach with her feet just barely touching the water. She was obviously concentrating her energy on the mirror in her hands since her eyes were closed. Beside Neptune, Ryo-ohki was in her humanoid form carelessly playing in the sand.

Ryoko noticed the disappointed look on Neptune's face when she opened her eyes and looked into her mirror. _She must not be having any luck either._ She rationalized to herself. "Why don't we head back to the Lair? Maybe the others had more luck than we did." She announced so everyone could hear her. Everyone nodded in agreement to the suggestion.

"Huh?" Bengali stopped and closed his eyes to concentrate. His highly trained ears picked up on a foreign sound. _That noise? Where is it coming from? It sounds like…_He quickly opened his eyes and looked upward. "Neptune! Watch out!" He called to her.

Using her senshi speed, she picked up Ryo-ohki and began running; all the while dodging the blasts that seemed to barely miss her. When she reached her group, Ayeka placed them all in her protective shield. When the blasts ceased, they looked up to see a 'plane' in the shape of a bird.

"That's Vultureman's flying machine!" Bengali announced.

"Then let's blast him from the sky!" Ryoko exclaimed but Bengali stopped her before she could get away. "What's the big idea? Let me go!"

"Not just yet Ryoko! Vultureman may be one of the smartest mutants, but he is also a coward. No way he would attack us without a plan or help from the others." He explained to her.

"So what do you expect us to do? Stay inside Ayeka's bubble until he decides to tell us what his ultimate plan is?" She reacted sarcastically.

"Ryoko for once will you listen to someone else for a chance?!" Ayeka shouted at her.

"This may give us an idea as to what he is doing here." Neptune held out her mirror for everyone to see. It was a current vision of Vulturman in his flying machine. He had the mark of Ti'ria on his head and chanted the same message of his master. "Something tells me he is not here of his own free will."

* * *

"Ro-Ber-Bill and Ro-Ber-Belle are really cool." Ayelei said to the younger Thundercats beside her. "And these candy fruit treats are real tasty!" She added as she finished the treat in her hand.

"Yeah but too bad they couldn't tell us anything about Ti'ria and Ti'shina though." Kitara said sadly.

"I guess we'd better head back to the Lair in that case." WilyKat suggested to the girls.

"It's probably best if we do in case Snarf worries himself to death." WilyKit said as she and her brother mounted their space boards. "Kita? Why don't you check in with Lion-O and the others?"

"Okay." She took out her communicator and began speaking into it. "Kitara to Lion-O and Tygra. Do you copy?"

"..." Static.

"Huh? Kitara to Lion-O and Tygra. Do you copy?" Again she recieved only static. "They're not responding." She said urgently to her group.

"Try Pantro." WilyKat suggested.

"Kitara to Panthro. Do you copy?"

"..." Static.

"How about Bengali? Lynx-O?" Ayelei asked; a bit more alerted since those were the teams Ryoko and Washu were assigned to. Both teams Kitara tried were also met with static.

Kitara took a deep breath before making one final attempt. "Kitara to Cheetara. Cheetara? Can you hear me?" She nearly pleaded into box. "Now I'm sure something is wrong. Cheetara always answers when I call."

"Give me a sec you guys." Ayelei asked before closing her eyes_. Mom? Ryoko? Can you hear me?_

_Ayelei? Get out of my head!_ Ryoko rang in her mind.

_I'm sorry but we can't get through to anyone else so our link was my only other option._ She explained to Ryoko.

_Our team is in the middle of a battle. More than likely that's what's going on with the other teams also._ Ryoko concluded.

_Ryoko is right Ayelei._ A third voice appeared.

_Mom? What's going on?_ She asked the tiny scientist.

_Yeah Washu? What's going on with your team too?_ Ryoko asked next.

_From what I can tell, everyone is engaged in battle with the Mutants and Lunatacs. Ayelei, you and the Thunderkittens get back to the Lair where it's safe right now!_ Washu ordered.

_But we can help you-_

_This is **not** up for debate Ayelei! Do as I say and** get going**!_ With that, Washu's link was cut off.

_You heard the lady brat: get moving!_ Ryoko said as she also cut her link off.

"No wait!" She opened her eyes to see the twins staring at her. Kitara opened her eyes a spit second later.

"Everyone is fighting!" Kitara and Ayelei said in unison.

"Cheetara said Monkian and Alluro were attacking the Warrior Maidens! What about the others?" Kitara asked Ayelei.

"Mom and Ryoko didn't say who they were fighting but Mom wants us back at the Lair a.s.a.p. No questions asked." She explained as she levitated in the air. "Wait? What's that?" She pointed in the air behind them.

WilyKit and Kat both gasped. "A Skycutter!"

They watched as it began an aerial raid on the Ro-Bear-Berbil village. "It's going to destroy them! We have to help!" Ayelei turned as they nodded in agreement.

"Let's go!" Kitara said as she took off into a sprint.

"Say isn't that Jackalman?" WilyKat asked, as they got closer to the assailant.

"You're right! What's that coward doing here all by himself?" WilyKit also asked.

"Be careful guys. Something doesn't feel right about this." Kitara warned.

"Yes...I will obey my Master." Jackalman repeated as he shot at the helpless Ro-bears.


	29. Chapter 29

"She can spit fire at us too!" Jupiter yelled as she dodged an attack from Chilla.

"We have to find a way to free Panthro, Snowman, and Snowmeow." Mercury announced. Behind Chilla, their comrades were frozen in individual ice blocks. The only motion they could muster was to move their eyes slightly. Tugging on her left earring, goggles appeared in front on her face in unison with her mini computer in her hand.

"I'll distract her while you figure out something." Jupiter said in a hushed tone to Mercury. Mercury in turn nodded her head in acknowledgement as the senshi of lightening took off. After dodging a few of Chilla's 'ice cycles', Mercury gave her the signal that she figured out something. "Tell me got something Mercury? I swear it seems like she's getting stronger!" Jupiter explained.

"She is." Mercury stated as her goggles retreated and she disposed of her mini computer. "From what I can tell, that symbol on her head serves as both a mind control device as well as power source."

"You're telling me she's a slave with added power?" Jupiter looked to her shocked.

"Yes, but it is also draining her life support away at the same time. The more power she uses, the more it takes away from her own existence." She said in a more somber tone. "For now our primary concern is to free our friends."

"And defeat her. You got a good plan?" Jupiter asked as Chilla stood in front of their friends again.

"I do. As I distract Chilla, you will use your attack to free our friends." Jupiter had objection written on her face, but Mercury explained before she had a chance to disapprove. "As Chilla can control cold and heat, my attacks are based on the manipulation of water and ice. Because of that fact, it would be an inconvenience to our friends who are trapped if I were attempting to save them. As of now, you are the only one of us qualified to free them. Do you understand?"

Jupiter sighed low. "I do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." She went into a defensive stance as Mercury took her stance to begin her attack. "Ready when you are." Jupiter said to Mercury.

"**Mercury Shabon Spray!**"

Chilla looked around as a mist formed over the area. Behind her, she heard Jupiter's voice talking to the captured. As she turned around to locate Jupiter, she heard Mercury from behind her. "**Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!**" She turned forward again as a powerful burst of freezing water knocked her backwards a few feet.

Once again tugging on her earring, she produced her goggles. "The attack made contact with her, but I know she's not down for good. Our friends need to be freed first." She spoke to herself. Looking through her goggles, she saw Jupiter made to safely to the others. With a few hand movements, she lifted the mist around them, but kept it thick where she and Chilla were battling.

A hissing sound caused her to hit the ground. Chilla had just fired her ice cycles from her mouth and was shooting randomly at the 'fog'. _I'd better lure her closely to me before she accidentally hits the others._ She thought her herself as she got up. Through her goggles, she saw Chilla. Using her second attack again, she fired a few feet away from Chilla, to purposely give away her position. _Now comes the hard part: counterattack._ She stood her ground as Chilla again fired in her general direction.

_I hope you know what you're doing Mercury?_ Jupiter thought to herself as she heard the attacks through the mist. "Okay you guys. I'm getting you out now." Jupiter stood back a few feet and began her attack. "**Jupiter Oak Evolution!**" She began spinning at a rapid speed. As she did, electrically charged leaves began slicing away at the ice. After hundreds of thousands hit the ice, it collapsed and their friends were free. "Are you all okay?" Jupiter ran up to her friends.

"Better thanks to you." Snowman stated as Snowmeow nugged her.

"We have to help Mercury! Chilla is dangerous!" Panthro announced as he struggled to stand up. Snowman helped the Thundercat stand up. "The mist is lifting." He announced. The first thing they saw was Chilla, a bit winded, but still standing her ground.

"I do not see your companion." Snowman pointed out.

"Mercury? Mercury! Are you okay? Answer us!" Jupiter called out but got no answer. "This is not good." Chilla had breathed in an enormous amount of air in preparation to her attack. "Get down! I'll protect you all!" She declared as she stood in front of them.

"No way! Jupiter, get out of here and find the others!" Panthro ordered.

"Yes young one. Do as Panthro says." Snowman agreed as Snowmeow went and stood beside Jupiter. She calmly shook her head 'no'.

"Not gonna happen. I refuse to desert my friends!" She stretched her hands out to her sides; as if protecting them from Chilla's attacks.

As Chilla's breath began to exhale, a familiar voice rang from the mist that had not completely disappeared. "**Shine Aqua Illusion!**" In a matter of seconds, Chilla was frozen where she stood in a block of ice.

The mist, now completely gone, showed Mercury; with a shaky thumbs up.

"Jeez Mercury. You really had me..." Jupiter's eyes went wide as she made a closer inspection of her friend. Her clothes were tattered and she was nursing her left shoulder. There were small scratches on her face and all over her body (from trying to dodge Chilla's ice cycles). Finally, when she attempted to take one step, she stumbled forward. That was all it took for Jupiter. With a speed that would rival Neptune, she was by her comrade's side in an instant. As Mercury was about to fall forward, Jupiter caught her with strong arms and gently eased her to the cold ground. "Are you okay?"

"A bit sore and tired, but I'll manage." Mercury reassured her friend. "How are the others?" She referred their now freed friends.

"Panthro is a little tired like you, but other than that everyone is fine." Jupiter looked up to make sure Chilla was still frozen. "She was one heck of an opponent huh?"

"I agree she was a formidable adversary. I wonder how the battle would have gone had she not been under the influence of another." Mercury responded as she attempted sit up.

"Here. I'll help you up." Jupiter steadied Mercury and helped her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yes. I'll rest once we return to the Lair." Jupiter assisted Mercury to the Thundertank where Panthro was seated- with the help of Snowman none-the-less. Panthro had a confused look on his face. "Is everything alright Panthro?" Mercury asked.

"I hope so. When we first began battling Chilla, Kitara tried to radio in via the Thundertank. I'm attempting to get in contact with her again, but neither she nor the twins are answering. To make matters worse, no one else is picking up either."

"What about the Lair?" Jupiter asked.

"I spoke with Venus and Snarfer. Everything is good back home, but they have yet to hear from anyone else." Panthro said in a worried tone. "I wonder why Chilla was ordered to attack us?" Panthro finally asked.

"Whatever the reason, it can't be any good." Jupiter responded. A mighty roar from the great snow cat caused everyone to look at him. "What's the matter boy?" Jupiter went into ready stance in front of Mercury.

"Chilla?!" Snowman pointed at the frozen captive. They all observed as a black and purple cloud shrouded the ice impound. "Impossible!" He shouted, as Chilla was now nowhere to be seen. All that was left was the frozen ice.

"I believe it is safe to assume Ti'ria or Ti'shina have come to claim their servant." Mercury deduced.

"Snowmeow? Bring me the relic from the treasure room." Snowman ordered the great cat. In a flash, he was inside the castle. "I do not know of these 'Ti'ria or Ti'shina', but I have seen the symbol they bear. Snowmeow will be back momentarily." As quick as he left, Snowmeow returned with a boxed item in his mouth. "Thank you Snowmeow." He patted his companion on the head. "What do you make of this my friends?" He gave the item to Mercury.

"What is that? An old book?" Jupiter asked over Mercury's shoulder.

"It appears to be some form of one. A journal or diary perhaps?" She observed the outside. The cover was hard; as if it were a soft metal. The cover was also a tan sort of color, but it was tarnished after so many years. As like a diary, the book was clasped together. Above the clasp, a symbol was branded on it. "This symbol…" Mercury traced her finger over it.

"Is that not the same symbol Chilla wore?" Snowman asked.

"The symbol Chilla wore was black; this one is gold." Mercury announced. She attempted to open it, but the clasp made that task impossible. "We'll require a key to open it. Snowman? Do you by chance know of a key that would open the book?"

"I'm sorry but that is all I possess with the symbol on it." He said regrettably.

"It's more than what we started out with. We may be able to find out more when we get it back to her L…" Panthro abruptly stopped as he turned his head around.

Everyone also turned around as a distance roar was heard in the distance. "What's that?" Mercury pointed to the sign in the sky.

"Panthro?" Jupiter asked uneasily as they watched his eyes glow golden. He quickly readjusted his position in the Thundertank before starting it up.

"That's the Thundercat symbol! It means Lion-O is in trouble and we have to go now!" He reached his hand down to help Mercury get into the Tank. Jupiter followed suit and sat in the back with her.

"Your wounds…?" Jupiter questioned Panthro.

"Are better. Don't worry about it." He reassured her before directing himself to Snowman and Snowmeow. "I'm sorry we have to leave you now Snowman but thanks for all your help."

"I only with I could do more. Be careful my friends." He said as he mounted Snowmeow. With one final nod, the Thundertank took off toward the cat symbol. "Come Snowmeow. Let's scour the kingdom for any damage Chilla may have done."


	30. Chapter 30

"Sailor Moon! Get down!" Cheetara yelled as she moved swiftly to the moon princess. As if by magic, a golden staff was in the cheetah's hand. Twirling it in front of her at rapid speed, she managed to deflect shots aimed at the princess. "Are you okay?" She asked with her back turned her.

Sailor Moon had shook her head 'yes' but realized Cheetara couldn't see her with her back turned. After a shaky couple of seconds, she stood on her two feet again. "I am thanks to you." She attempted to stand beside the elder Thundercat, but she held her staff in front of the younger girl to prevent her from passing. "We have to help them Cheetara." Sailor Moon voiced with much emotion in her voice.

"I know, but we **must **have a plan before approaching them. They have no control over their actions because of Alluro's Psych-club. We must be prepared for anything they attempt to attack us with."

Sailor Moon looked to the woman with both understanding as well as confusion. "I agree with you Cheetara, but…you're asking me to treat them as if they are the enemy."

Cheetara took a quick glance at Sailor Moon to make brief eye contact. The look from Cheetara was enough to convince her otherwise, even if the woman hadn't spoken next. "While under Alluro's control, I'm afraid we **are** the enemy to Kiyone and Mihoshi. Be on guard and be more careful." Alluro next began making motions with his Pysch-club. "Get ready? They're about to attack!" Cheetara went into a ready position before the blonde could respond.

"_**They are the enemy. They must be destroyed."**_ Alluro's voice chanted as the crystal ball from his club floated over the heads of the galaxy policewomen.

"They are the enemy. They must be destroyed." Kiyone and Mihoshi chanted at the same time. Each taking aim with her firearm again, they opened fire on the Thundercat and princess.

"Move!" Cheetara ordered as they both went in opposite directions. _The Warrior Maidens are defenseless against their technology and they have no time to get away from the crossfire! I must help them!_ She thought as she ran faster through the trees; all the while dodging Kiyone's attacks. _She's good! Any slower and I would be a goner._ As she did with Sailor Moon moments ago, she again took her staff and began twirling it rapidly in circles; deflecting stray shots aimed at the maidens. She took a quick look in the direction of Uranus. The senshi of wind was leading Monkian away on his Skycutter. She mentally prayed for her safety before directing her attention back to her maiden friends.

Monkian appeared to have Uranus on the run as she jumped from tree to tree. He fired relentlessly at her, trying his hardest to take her down. _That's it hairball. Follow the senshi._ Uranus coaxed in her mind. _We're far enough away from the others now. Let's see how he likes this?_ Grabbing a branch in front on her, she swung around it so Monkian would pass her. Before he had a chance to turn around on his Skycutter, Uranus dropped to the ground and raised her right hand into the air. "**World…Shaking!"**

A crash from Uranus' direction caused Sailor Moon to look in the route her friend was last spotted as she ran. Mihoshi closed one eye and followed Sailor Moon with her gun. After careful calculations, she fired a few dozen shots; one managing to graze Sailor Moon's left shoulder. Though it knocked her off balance, she managed to duck behind one of the huge trees for cover.

As her friends stalked closer, Sailor Moon ran through her options. _What am I going to do?_ She thought. _I can use my 'eternal' attack; it could destroy them. But I can't sit here either. Kuso! I can't use any of my old attacks because I don't have the scepters…_ "My old attack!" Sailor Moon announced as she stood, full of resolve.

After a quick breath, she reached her right hand up to take hold of her tiara. It immediately began to glow golden until it resembled a disc. "**Moon Tiara Action!**" She yelled as she jumped from behind the tree. Before the women could react, Sailor Moon had already thrown the 'disc'. When it seemed as if it were going to hit them, it curved upward! The crystal ball shattered on impact. Alluro's eyes went wide as the momentum from the blast knocked him backward into a tree; leaving him unconscious.

Sailor Moon looked up as a golden 'pole' appeared beside her. Cheetara had extended her staff was now sliding down it. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she caused it to contract and placed it back inside its' storage area on her arm. They each ran up to their friends on the ground- due to the momentum from the blast. "Kiyone? Are you alright?" Cheetara helped her into a sitting position.

"Oh my head…" Kiyone moaned as she placed her head in her hands.

"Mihoshi? Can you sit up?" Sailor Moon asked the other blonde as she also helped her into a seating position.

"Wha…What happened?" Mihoshi looked around their surrounding. Everything looked as if it had just been in a huge battle. "Who did this?"

"I'm afraid you did my friends." Willa announced regrettably as she declined from a tree above, followed by Nayda.

"Us? No way? The last thing I remember was everyone in the main hut before Uranus made it known she saw Monkian and Alluro…Where is Uranus?" Kiyone stopped explaining as she noticed Uranus was not present.

"Oh no! That blast was where she was with Monkian!" Sailor Moon explained as she stood up suddenly. "I'm going to…"

"…relax?" Uranus finished her sentence as she appeared with Monkian in tow. Dragging the simian by the collar, she flung him atop Alluro when she reached the tree the Lunatac was knocked out on. "Looks like you two are back to normal." She said referring to Mihoshi and Kiyone. "Is everyone alright?" Uranus asked Willa next.

"No one was hurt thankfully."

Kiyone looked away in embarrassment. "I am truly sorry Willa. Nayda."

"There is no need to apologize. You were under the control of Alluro." Nayda began to explain. "You are not the only person he has every used as a puppet. During their raids, he would use many maidens to show them our secrets."

"My sister is right. Do not take heed to what another has done to you." Willa assured which seemed to set through to her.

"QUEEN WILLA! NAYDA! THE ENEMY!" Various maidens shouted from the trees.

"I-Impossible!" Willa stated as she saw a purple cloud cover Alluro and Monkian.

"Sister? They have disappeared?" Nayda asked her sister; not believing when she had just seen either.

Kiyone shook her head in frustration. "None of this makes sense! We came out here to see if we could find anything on Ti'ria and Ti'shina right? Well, we didn't find anything out, so Alluro and Monkian just so _happen_ to join forces without the rest of their team?"

"They acted more like puppets to me." Uranus started. "Didn't you all notice the marks on their head? I'd bet anything they were sent here to attack us on purpose."

"To make matters worse, Kitara spoke to me through her psychic link before the battle took a turn. Apparently Ayelei was speaking to Washu and Ryoko at the same time." Cheetara spoke up.

"What'd they say?" Sailor Moon asked concerned.

"If what they are saying is true, then everyone team sent out is engaged in battle as we speak."

A couple seconds passed before anyone spoke again. Willa took the stand to speak first. "I say you all head back to the Lair. Once you regroup, you can..."

"Say? Doesn't that look like the symbol for the Thundercats in the sky?" Mihoshi asked as the cut the maiden queen off.

Everyone watched in unison as the insignia on Cheetara's chest glowed red along with her golden eyes. "Lion-O is in trouble!" She stated as she sped off toward their vehicle. Just as quick, she was beside them again. "The controls are set on auto to track my every movement. I'll run along the quickest path so you all can follow me."

"Understood." Kiyone agreed as Uranus nodded her head. Mihoshi and Sailor moon watched in shock as the cheetah woman moved at breakneck speed.

"I'm sorry to leave you all in such a manner Willa." Kiyone apologized as the Thunderclaw rode past her.

"No need for apologies now. Be swift and save your friends." Willa and Nayda waved them off as the 'claw followed behind Cheetara.


End file.
